So many exhausted students have sat across from me in my office, unable to cut back on work hours, unable to drop classes because they’d fall below the minimum they need for their financial aid package, and most persevere. But we cannot equate pressure with support.
New policies encourage students to take 15 credits to speed time toward degree.
“Research clearly indicates that giving them more grant aid will help them complete degrees at higher rates. The money is necessary,” she wrote. “But what will happen if it comes at an additional price associated with being pushed to take more credits than they otherwise would have? Is this positive motivation, or a punitive approach driven by political requirements to ration financial aid?”
via Fifteen-to-Finish campaign wins fans, stokes worries.