Axe ’Em, Jacks!
Reduce Debt.
Stay on Track.
We work hard to ensure that, from the moment you connect with our campus, you have the information needed to graduate on time and enter the post-collegiate world with significantly less debt.
Luckily, those two objectives go hand in hand.
Your Momentum Year
As a first-time full-time college student, you have the opportunity to achieve specific benchmarks during the fall and spring terms that will build the foundation for you to graduate within four years. This will save you considerable money on expenses like room and board and keep you on track to begin your professional career or post-graduate school sooner.
First-year benchmarks
During your first fall and spring semesters take 15+ hours each term and complete the following courses:
- ENGL 1301 and ENGL 1302
- the core math requirement for your major
- and nine or more credit hours in the college foundation and/or major.
Transferring credits? You still can achieve these goals and maintain the recommended pace!
Graduate with less debt
Our 15 to Finish initiative encourages students to take 15 or more course hours each semester to ensure they stay on track to graduate in four years.
Of course, we understand larger class loads can mean larger tuition costs, which is why we’ve established two tuition rate plans that help Lumberjacks take 15 to 21 hours at the same cost as 12.
15 to Finish
The math is clear: It takes "15 to Finish."
Many Lumberjacks have the impression an enrollment status of "full time" automatically puts them on track to graduate within four years, when in fact it commonly puts students on a five-year plan for a bachelor’s degree.
In order to graduate within four years, you must take at least 15 credits per semester or 30 credits per year.
According to both national studies and SFA's internal data, students who regularly take 15+ hours per semester complete a higher percentage of their coursework, maintain a higher GPA and are more successful in achieving their degree.
Spending more time with your professors and classmates keeps you more involved in your academics and less likely to drift away from your classes.
Flat-Rate Tuition
You can take up to 21 hours and pay the same tuition rate as 12 hours!
Whether you take 12, 15, 18 or 21 hours, your tuition each semester will remain the same.
Student Resources
Your academic advisor will help you successfully transition to college life and assist you in making responsible decisions aligned with your goals, interests and degree requirements. They’ll also help you keep track of your academic progress.
A degree MAP is a suggested course sequence, with specific courses to complete each semester to be “on track” toward graduation by taking the right courses in the right order.
The Office of the Registrar provides online registration tutorials in PDF and video format, as well as a course registration help desk via Zoom.