VOA慢速英语 提前毕业: 三年制大学

　　Out of Class Early: College in Three Years

　　提前毕业: 三年制大学

　　This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

　　The last time the United States Education Department asked young people how long they took to finish college was in two thousand one. Fifty-seven percent graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in four years. Thirty-nine percent took five years. And what about the others, the remaining four percent? They did it in three years. To some people, that is a smart idea.

　　In February, Senator Lamar Alexander warned higher education leaders that they risk rejection unless they lower the cost of attending college. The Republican senator is a former education secretary and former president of the University of Tennessee. He suggested offering a three-year bachelor's degree that would save money as well as time. Many students can already graduate in three years. They take bigger class loads and classes in the summer. And they have college credit from passing Advanced Placement tests in high school. A.P. credits can mean fewer required classes. Others who want to graduate in three years must pay for the same education as four-year students, but in a shorter period of time. Three-year graduates, though, can enter the job market sooner. That adds another year of wages to their lifetime earnings.

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