Linzi Sheppard, 22, is a fifth-year agricultural education and communication senior.
Rather than taking 18 credits a semester to catch up after she switched her major from nutrition to a specialization in communication and leadership development in her current major, she decided she'd rather pick up hours at her part-time jobs, become more involved on campus and graduate this December rather than last May.
At UF, Sheppard isn't alone.
Of the students who came to UF during the 2005-2006 school year, about 58 percent had graduated after four years. Of the remaining students in that class, about 80 percent had graduated after five years.
Universities around the United States, UF included, are making efforts to increase the number of students who graduate in four years. For some, that effort comes in the form of a four-year graduation guarantee. This guarantee, currently in effect at about 15 campuses nationwide, is signed by new students, their parents and the university president.
It states that provided students meet regularly with college advisers and stay on track with courses, they will graduate in no more than four years.
These colleges, which are mostly small private schools, are seeking to ease parents' fears that they will end up paying five or six years of costly tuition.
If the university fails to maintain its end of the agreement - if a required course is not available, or if advisers give incorrect advice - it will cover the cost of additional tuition needed to complete the degree.
If the reason for not graduating in four years lies with the student - if he or she changed majors, took less than a full load or chose a "long" program like engineering - the student must still pay for the additional time in school.
"It's a nice marketing gimmick," said UF Provost Joe Glover. "It may be useful in schools that have not been providing the necessary classes to their students, but UF has always guaranteed that."
Under UF policy, if a student is unable to get a seat in a course required to make progress toward graduation, administration will work to ensure that student is able to join the class, Glover said.
UF does not offer to pay for additional schooling beyond four years.
Few public universities offer such a guarantee, but the University of Nebraska and the University of Minnesota are among those who do.
