<p>I’m a rising junior who transferred to a college with an amazing nursing program. But to get into it, I’ll need to spend the next two years just taking prerequisite courses. This means that if I get into that program, I’d end up earning my nursing BS after a total of 6 years in undergrad. </p>
<p>Is there a limit to how many credits one can have and how many years one can stay in college?</p>
<p>Money isn’t an issue here, because my new college is affordable and I’m qualified for fin. aid. Even if I don’t get into the nursing school, I’ll have the necessary classes to apply to other health programs. </p>
<p>Is there a fault in my logic? Is there a stigma attached to students who are “slow” to graduate?</p>
<p>In graduate programs, it’s common to have a time limit from the first credit through the last. Haven’t encountered that in undergrad programs, but it’s worth checking. As to stigma, none that I know of. Many students work their way through college, taking longer than four years to graduate. In your case, your transfer provides an obvious reason for the “delay.” I think your logic is fine. However, if it makes a difference, you may want to verify that you’ll be able to keep your finaid status for the full duration of your enrollment.</p>
<p>Check with an academic advisor (not your faculty advisor – they tend not to know about obscure rules – you’re better off with the academic advising office). There may be a limit on how many years you can spend as an undergraduate – although I think it’s likely to be more than six.</p>
<p>If you find that you might exceed the limit, it could be necessary to take a leave of absence, take some of the prerequisite courses elsewhere, and then return to your home campus.</p>
<p>It took my h 17 years to complete his BA. He earned his credits through at least four colleges. I know many, many people who did not have the luxury of 4 years of focused, undergraduate work. The necessity to work fulltime, work transfers, children, change in focus/major are just some of the reasons it takes some adults longer to earn their degree. </p>
<p>H is very successful and has demonstrated that he completes what he starts…even if it took a bit longer. If someone wants to place a “stigma” on that, so be it. His resume shows where he received his degree. I don’t think any one has ever questioned it. It does make him appear younger, though, if anyone tries to do the math!</p>
<p>The only advise I’d give to someone who needs to drop in and out of college is to make sure you take courses from accredited colleges so that your units are transferable.</p>
<p>What OP describes is what I would guess could be a typical scenario for a nursing program. You are not delaying your education, you are extending it.</p>
<p>My brother was on the nine year plan, and he knows people who were undergrads for even longer. We always joked that he was a professional student. It took him another dozen years to get his masters and PhD. Now he’s a university professor, and he’s been in the college classroom in some capacity for the past 31 years.</p>
<p>It must be fairly common to need extra time to graduate due to a transfer of schools. My son was told he needs to complete an extra year and a half due to his transfer. These days it even seems as though a regular undergrad degree takes 5 years anyway…they are calling those in the extra year “super seniors.” With double majors, changing majors and kids taking more time exploring their interests, it makes sense.</p>
<p>I was undergrad until about my late 30s. I graduated with MBA in my 40s. There were people in my classes older then me. Finances were never a problem since my various jobs paid for my education, both of them job and school were great fun and I did not need to seek another form entertaiment. Concurrently, I had family, raised a kid, everything helped each other. Did I answer your question?</p>
<p>Some schools, especially publics as they are subsidized by taxpayers, charge more per credit after you reach a certain number of credits. Financial aid also tends to be credit conscious.</p>
<p>My school charges extra for excessive credit hours. I hit that limit last semester, due to transferring schools and changing majors, so now my tuition is 3x what it used to be. Along with the increased price, I’m also not eligible for financial aid anymore. Thankfully I only have one more semester left!</p>
<p>Some schools really put the pressure on kids to graduate, if not on time, then pretty soon thereafter. After all, they have incoming freshmen who would like your spot.</p>
<p>There is no cap per se on federal aid for you, but there are undergrad loan limits (57500 total for independent student, with up to 23000 of that subsidized). Schools award FSEOG and FWS from a pool of money the feds give them, so a school could possibly limit those funds to a certain number of years. Beginning this year, Pell grants will be tallied up & students may only receive a total of 900% (that is, nine full Pell awards). In reality, though, MANY students take 5, 6, 7 years - often more - to complete their degrees. On CC, you don’t find as many doing that - but it is far from uncommon.</p>
<p>My father started college in 1935 and finally got his B.A. from the U of Michigan in 1996. Some of his 1935 classes counted towards the degree.</p>
<p>There was an article in GQ or Esquire a few years back about a guy at Cornell who’d been enrolled as an undergrad continuously for about 15(?) years, and still lived in a frat.</p>