But their attempt to work the system may end up costing them. HOPE scholarships pay for only 127 credits over a student's college career, and each dropped course counts toward that limit. Drop too many classes and they could find themselves footing the bill for the last semester or two before graduation. With students taking longer to graduate, classes are getting more crowded. But the problem is expected to exacerbate in the next five years.
Population studies predict a major increase in high school graduates by then.
If the current crop of students doesn't start moving through a little faster, there may be no room for subsequent classes. The university system must find some incentive or motivation to get students moving through their course work at a quicker pace. Otherwise, taxpayers may be coughing up some extra cash to build more classrooms.