College Officials Recognize a New Type of Students: Swirlers

Their friends describe them as driven. Some even call them relentless as far as saving money. Higher education officials have dubbed them swirlers. While other college students use the summer break to relax or work as interns, they use the time to collect college credits - as cheaply as they can.

Who is a Swirler?

He or she is a type of collegiate nomad, according to The Washington Post. Swirlers look at the college experience as a basket to be filled as quickly as possible with the credits necessary to graduate. The typical four-year college experience isn't a priority for swirlers. And colleges have noted that their numbers are growing steadily.

A tanked economy and the necessity to save money any way possible are typical reasons why swirlers look for ways to graduate as fast as possible and curtail their expenses. Increasingly relaxed credit transfer policies have helped them tremendously.

A Definite Trend

Swirlers represent a growing trend in higher education. Thanks in great part to the availability of online courses, 60 percent of students who earn bachelor's degrees have attended more than one college. Around 15 percent of students enrolled in four-year colleges and universities take classes at community college, a particularly popular choice during the summer term.

It's easy to understand why. A Virginia resident studying at American University and seeking to graduate in fewer than four years would pay $1,205 tuition per credit to attend the school part-time in the summer. If he or she attended Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), the cost would be just $112.45 for each credit. Students taking classes at community colleges also typically pay fewer fees, such as those universities assess for sports and other activities, and often are able to save money by living at home.

The Alternatives

Swirlers quickly become experts at finding ways to heap on inexpensive college credits that fit their schedules and the requirements to graduate. According to Cliff Adelman, a senior associate with the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) in Washington, DC, attending a community college is rapidly becoming part of the standard process of earning an undergraduate degree. Some students are pleasantly surprised at the quality of the classes they're able to take away from their four-year schools.

Swirlers are creative and often leave no stone unturned in their quest to hurry for a sheepskin. Many began planning to that end in high school. Although community college courses average only a few hundred dollars each, there are even cheaper ways to get college credit. Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) exams cost less than $100 each. The trick is scoring well enough to get credit at a student's college of choice instead of a waiver to take a higher-level course in place of an introductory one.

The ultimate in convenience and cost savings for a swirler who's both working and pursuing a four-year degree is online courses from a community college. These students incur minimal commuting - perhaps to take a proctored exam - or other costs.

How Community Colleges Are Responding

Many two-year schools have already experienced a boom in swirlers, particularly during summer terms. For example, Virginia's Tidewater Community College enrolled 2,150 students from four-year colleges during its 2010 summer term. This represents an increase of 14 percent over the prior summer term. Montgomery College in Maryland enrolled 3,100 of these students, a 25-percent increase.

Recognizing the swirlers are here to stay, some community colleges in the Washington, DC have started advertising on four-year campuses.

Sources:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/15/AR2010081502765.html?sub=AR

http://www.american.edu/finance/studentaccounts/Tuition-and-Fees-Information.cfm

http://www.nvcc.edu/future-students/paying-for-college/tuition-fees/index.html

http://www.ihep.org/about/bio-detail.cfm?id=18