To save money, learn better, college students say yes to summer school

Summer school isn't new. But college students have found a new motivation to go: Save money.

"In the past, it was, 'No way, I've been in class for 15 weeks, two semesters, I want a break,' " said Danyelle Thurman, the head of advising for Rutgers-Camden's arts and sciences school. "Now … the cost of college is increasing, they're trying to get out in a timely manner and not prolong things."

Colleges are increasingly stressing the financial benefits of graduating on time — or even early.

"Summer primarily used to be about maybe getting out of trouble," said Jodi Levine Laufgraben, the vice provost for academic affairs at Temple University, referring to students who retake courses they failed or withdrew from during the academic year. "But now I think the pattern has been more about getting ahead and staying on track."

As part of Temple's voluntary "Fly in 4" program to encourage graduation in four years, students in danger of falling off track receive messages in the spring encouraging them to consider summer classes.

"We are actively promoting summer as a semester that can help you," Laufgraben said.

The availability of summer courses ended up saving Stela Hysenj, 25, who thought she was set to graduate in May.

As she put together her final course schedule, she learned that she had missed a general education requirement. That one course could have derailed Hysenj's job offer from Vanguard as an IT developer.

Temple allowed her to walk at commencement in May and take that last course this summer. She finishes this month.

"Thank God it was given during the summer," Hysenj said. "Because if it wasn't, I would have to go back for the fall semester. And since I already had a job offer, that would mean I would have to decline the job offer."

Hysenj's world religions course meets twice a week for three hours, beginning at 5:30 p.m. That timing has allowed her to work a full day before taking the class, she said, and the relative freedom of having only one class means she can dedicate more time to it.

"If you really want to learn about something, summer is the time to do that," she said. "You have the whole six weeks to focus on that one thing. … You don't have to worry about other classes, because it's chaotic during the regular semesters."

Hysenj's younger sister, a Temple junior, is now considering taking courses later this summer.

Many schools offer several summer sessions of varying lengths to provide options for students and to allow flexibility in course length and intensity.

That also lets students take multiple courses, which can help those who want to get general education classes out of the way or take prerequisites so they can focus on more advanced courses during the year, said Lorraine Ricchezza, who oversees summer courses at Rowan University.

Rowan hires students to work year-round promoting summer sessions — and similarly compressed winter courses — to fellow students, holding events and contests and using social media to advertise the classes.

Like Rowan, Stockton University has marketed through social media — instead of just billboards and other "somewhat archaic forms of advertising," said Robert Gregg, the dean of Stockton's school of general studies.

Unlike its peers, Stockton has seen summer enrollment fall for undergraduates, Gregg said. The university's enrollment has been growing annually, often breaking records, but the number of students staying for the summer has fallen about 25 percent since 2008.

Gregg attributes the decline to a move from per credit tuition to flat-rate tuition in which full-time students pay the same rate for 12 credits to 20.

That encourages students to take as many courses as possible during the academic year, he said.

In some cases, students are signing up for course loads they can't handle, Gregg said. They also end up missing out on some benefits of summer courses.

"You focus in on the areas where you'd be more challenged or that you found most challenging," he said. "And in addition you're most likely going to be in a class that's smaller in size, so you're going to get more attention from the faculty."

Summer courses can also carry risks.

Financial aid is often more limited in summer than during the school year, which can work against the affordability incentive if students don't ultimately graduate more quickly.

Also, summer classes, which compress a semester into a few weeks, move through material faster, Thurman said.

"It's a very, very accelerated, intense schedule," she said.

"There's not a lot of time if they're not getting the material in the summer," Thurman said. "You definitely want to make sure that you're taking courses that are appropriate to your skill level."

For Beverly Quaye, 24, summer courses at Rutgers-Camden were a way to stay on track after failing or dropping out of courses during the year.

"I was really able to focus more on those particular classes, and not have to divide my attention between that class and maybe five other classes," she said.

Quaye took summer courses each year, even after graduating last year. She's taking classes this summer, as well, but as part of an accelerated Rutgers-Camden nursing program that includes summer classes.

With the help of those classes, Quaye made it to the graduation finish line right on time after starting in 2011.

"I didn't want to finish a year after or a semester after," she said. "I would do whatever I had to do to finish on time."

jlai@phillynews.com
856-779-3220
@elaijuh
www.philly.com/campusinq