My kids depend at least in part on their scholarships, which last for 8 semesters. If they do co-ops or internships, I think they can extend the time but not the 8 semesters of merit money. While some students might have AP or dual enrollment credits, mine don’t (well, one has 3 credits she got for one class). The engineer has 16-18 credits scheduled almost every semester, but that’s how the program is set up. The chemE’s have 18 almost every semester.
It’s not that I don’t want to pay for more than 8 semesters, it’s just that it will be way more expensive for a 5th year because a good portion of the tuition assistance will be gone.