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UHin4 has students weighing benefits, course load

UHin4

Students look back at their decision to enroll in UHin4, weighing its benefits against the required course load. | James Schillinger/The Cougar

UHin4 is a four-year graduation plan program that has students debating if enrolling was worth it with the requirements they have to meet.

The program is offered to incoming freshmen each year, as well as transfer students with less than 30 transfer hours, providing a set tuition rate for all four years that depends on students’ degree plans.

“I signed up for UHin4 because it promised me the same tuition for four years and made me want to finish college in four years because of it,” said political science senior Diana Barrera. “I had already planned to graduate in four years, so it was just a plus for me.”

Some of the requirements for the plan specify meeting with a counselor each semester, remaining in good academic standing, self-monitoring their degree process and making sure they are following the provided course map in the order it was given.

But some students, like media production freshman Emely Pena, find the most demanding requirement on the list is the need to complete a quarter of their degree plan each semester, based on a 120 credit hour route.

“It’s helpful that it gets me out of college in four years,” Pena said. “But (it’s) harmful in that five classes (15 hours) a semester is a lot to handle.”

The benefits of participating in the project are being able to graduate in just four years with a set tuition rate so students can better estimate the total cost of their education. This, along with being provided a detailed course map to help students better navigate the process of signing up for classes as well as ensure course availability.

Being ensured course availability is extremely helpful at a university servicing thousands of students who are competing for limited spots in classes, said freshman biology major Samantha Vasquez.

“I chose UHin4 for the structure and so I could choose my classes before anyone else,” Vasquez said.

While initially agreeing to complete up to 15 credit hours upon signing up for the program, some students, like Pena, are left second-guessing participating in UHin4 before being exposed to the fast-paced reality of completing college in just four years.

“At first I wanted to so I could go on and finish school,” Pena said. “Now that I’m actually in college, of course, I would like to graduate soon, but I wouldn’t mind an extra year.”

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