FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): The Indiana Commission for Higher Education is taking this Thanksgiving holiday to send out a message.

Associate Commissioner Sarah Ancel says “15 to Finish” is one of their most pressing campaigns. Ancel says only about half of current students are taking enough courses to finish college in four years. Ancel says college students who expect to graduate from college on time should take 15 credit hours each and every semester.

She says “on time completion” is the most cost-effective strategy for college students. She says an additional year of college costs $50,000 in lost wages, tuition and related costs.

She says timely completion is also important since state aid only pays for four years of college. The Commission plans to release a comprehensive report come January on course-taking trends and how the “15 to Finish” campaign has been working since it was launched.