Staying Ahead of the Class
--Printed January 28, 2004
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Another semester has come and gone, and many students have stayed in the came class (i.e. sophomore) only with a few more credits completed. While this makes up the majority, there are those who entered college with college or Advanced Placement credits or who go credit-happy and take over the standard 12 full-time semester hours and end up a year ahead of the class they entered with. "Why do they do this," you ask? Maybe they wish to graduate early and go right into their lives and start earning a living rather than putting themselves further in the hole with tuition prices sneaking upwards. Perhaps they wish to take classes that are not within their major's curriculum. The other option is, of course, they could just have a few loose screws in their head and just enjoy overwhelming themselves for the thrill of it. Whatever the reason, there is always a downside to taking more than you need.
The words 'financial aid' and 'the insurance company' give the average college student that knotted, upset feeling in their stomach; imagine that feeling being ten times worse, and include a few ulcers when an over-ambitious student hears that those institutions are going to be affected because they decided to take a few more classes than the norm. When a student has enough credits to complete their junior year the second year of attending college, their graduation date is pushed up, even though students are not close to being finished with their major's requirements. There needs to be a clearer definition and better communication on when a student graduates and when the college (meaning Student Accounts) thinks a student should graduate. Perhaps Academic Advisement and Student Accounts should talk every now and then to confer on when a student really finishes his or her major and is ready to graduate.
If there was no such thing as "financial aid," there would be no such thing as a college student. With the economy bouncing like a rubber ball (apparently right now, it's on the upward bounce), I don't know a single person who can afford college all alone. Of course there are some of you out there, so to you		 The bank probably could care less when you graduate as long as they get their interest money, but if you�re on the �deferred interest plan,� when you graduate means everything. If the college screws up when you graduate, and you know you graduate in another two years, but the college says you�re out this coming May, there will be problems and money collectors at your doorstep. Again, it can all be avoided if people at the college communicate with each other and to the students. Even if the college contacts the student with a nice letter, �Dear Student � I hope you know that we have you graduating in 4 months. Please come in to correct this if it is incorrect. Thank you.� Now that would be nice, a little late, but at least it would warn the students why paperwork isn�t going through as it should be and allow them to clear up the minor detail called graduation.
Since it seems that the college decides when they want you to leave, it has a huge impact on insurance coverage. If you are a college student under the age of 21, and your family has medical insurance, depending on the insurance company, some cover you until you are no longer deemed an undergraduate college student. The only office that can sign the consent form confirming that you exist as a student is Student Accounts.
It�s bad enough that students are getting every last penny squeezed out of them while we are here at college, but it�s even worse when the college can�t even tell how long it is realistically going to take for its students to graduate. So who ends up suffering for the college�s incompetence? The students do, by their medical insurance coverage and financial aid being stripped away. To be sure the college has you graduating when you complete your major, you can go on to the Oneonta Web Site>Web Services>sign in to your Registrar information, and then find your academic standing. Somewhere in there should be your �Expected Graduation Date.� You can plan out a mock schedule, even though you should have already done so with your assigned academic advisor, for your time here at Oneonta State. If you think that the date is way off, then contact Student Accounts at 436-XXXX to give them the correct information.
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