If all goes as planned, Tiffany Weber will graduate in four years.

A sophomore in journalism, she was one of 146 students last fall who signed a four-year graduation contract and is staying on track with it.

The four-year plan was initiated by the Iowa Board of Regents last summer in response to the growing number of students in the state who took more than four years to graduate with a bachelor’s degree.

“The regents want to encourage more students to graduate in four years so it would save them money in the long run,” said Ed Lewis, associate provost. “It’s a commitment on the part of the students, typically freshmen, who agree that they will meet certain conditions so that they will graduate in four years.”

These conditions consist of taking a required number of courses each year, in and outside one’s major, and maintaining good grades.

Each of the state universities was directed by the regents to coordinate its own four-year contract. Although they all had at least 80 percent of the freshmen who signed the contract remain in the program — Iowa State having the highest percentage with 97 — its success has varied.

Iowa State’s 146 freshmen who signed the contract account for 4 percent of last year’s incoming class. This is the lowest number compared to University of Iowa’s 1,895 freshmen and University of Northern Iowa’s 378 who signed the contract.

Lewis said the low statistics here can be attributed to many reasons.

“Students are taking longer for a variety of reasons, mainly financial reasons, which the university doesn’t have much control over,” he said. “Some undergraduate programs are such that there are internships needed.”

But Weber said a program requiring an internship or any practical experience is not a downside to the contract. She plans to take a full course load each semester and reserve her internships for the summers.

“I know what I want to do, but this contract will help me be assured that I’ll graduate in four years,” Weber said.

This school year, Lewis said he expects an increase in the number of freshmen who sign the contract, but not by much because of academic decisions, such as changing majors or studying abroad.

Incoming freshmen are informed about the program during orientation and mailings sent out by the university. Students’ advisers are expected to have a copy of the contract, which students can sign at the beginning or end of the semester.