PITTSBURGH -Bradley Hoffman probably won't have much time to lounge in his backyard pool this summer.

The 19-year-old Temple University sophomore and Mount Lebanon native has enrolled in two summer courses at the Community College of Allegheny County. He hopes that by sacrificing his summer vacation, he'll be able to graduate after 3½ years of study.

Hoffman's plan isn't unusual. Universities and colleges are reporting that more students are choosing to take shorter and more intense courses during the summer. Students save time and money by taking these classes, while schools pick up extra revenue.

It's hard to say how many more students are opting to take summer classes now than 10 years ago. A 2003 survey of 450 campuses by the North American Association of Summer Sessions showed summer enrollment grew an average of 4 percent over four years for private institutions and 9 percent over four years for public institutions.

Meanwhile, CCAC reported a 26 percent jump in summer enrollment from five years ago and West Virginia University reported a 25 percent increase within the last 10 years.

More students are pursuing dual majors and multiple minors, so they use the summer to catch up on course work, said Sue Day-Perroots, WVU's dean of extended learning.

"Summer is a way they can graduate on time and still pick up another minor," Day-Perroots said.

For Hoffman, a summer course was a chance for him to focus on a difficult class - managerial accounting - without the stress of juggling a full-time course load.

Summer courses can be as short as one week or as long as six weeks. Most cost a fraction of what a similar course would cost during the school year.

For example, at Boston University, credits during the summer cost $444, while credits during the school year cost $937.

With the cost of tuition steadily increasing at many colleges and universities, many students want to finish their degrees before their debt load gets heavier, said Barmak Nassirian, the associate executive director with the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.

Plus, the pay at most summer jobs won't cover school-year expenses anymore, Nassirian said.

"You can make $7 an hour now or you can expedite your time to degree and make a professional salary a year or two sooner," Nassirian said.