Students in public colleges take an average of 6.2 years to obtain a bachelor’s degree, while students in private colleges take an average of 5.3 years (Source: Trends in College Pricing, 2006). Taking an additional year or two to complete college can add substantially to the overall cost. There are several reasons why students take longer than four years to complete their degrees:

• Many students find that they need to work to help finance the cost of their college education. That could mean that they either take time off from college to work or they take a smaller course load and work at the same time.

• A substantial number of students switch colleges. One college may not transfer credits from another college, which prolongs the time needed to complete a degree. The National Center for Education Statistics found that 59% of students attended more than one college. Only 48% of students who attended three colleges completed their degree in six years, while 70% of those attending two colleges and 92% of those attending one college did so.

• Many students change majors, which typically involves additional coursework. The National Research Center for College and University Admissions estimates that over half of students switch majors at least once.

What can a parent do to help shorten the amount of time the child spends obtaining a college degree? Parents should actively get involved in helping the child with his/her selection of a college and a major. Since students who change colleges and majors often extend the time needed to obtain a degree, helping your child with those selections could help ensure that they make good initial selections. Parents should honestly assess the child’s abilities and goals when making those decisions.

Once the child is in college, the parent should also monitor the child’s progress. Find out how many courses your child needs to take to complete college in four years. If the child falls behind, perhaps a summer class or two can get him/her back on track.