A relatively small measure making its way through the Indiana General Assembly could have a big impact on Hoosier college students.
The plan would limit the college credits needed for graduation to 120.
Universities will have to ask the Indiana Commission for Higher Education for permission to require more.
Gov. Mitch Daniels pushed for the change, saying “credit creep” — the fact that some colleges and some majors require more credits — was making degrees too expensive for some Hoosiers.
Colleges and universities pushed back a bit. Certainly they have the expertise and the right to set their own requirements, within reason.
Lawmakers have compromised. The bill, as it now stands, allows colleges and universities to break the 120-credit limit for programs that require the extra credits for national accreditation.
At first report, this seems a worthy compromise. Students must have a reasonable change of finishing a degree in a reasonable amount of time and at a reasonable expense. Colleges and universities, meanwhile, must set appropriate, and often high, expectations.
These are not mutually exclusive goals. We believe all the parties are on the right track toward a solution.