Student transfer is down this fall, with new data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center showing the anticipated influx of students transferring to community colleges from four-year institutions didn’t happen.
Millions of students in America’s community colleges want to eventually earn a bachelor’s degree, but just a fraction successfully transfer to and graduate from four-year institutions.
“If institutional change does not make things better for students, something is missing.” In this episode of IngenioUs, Dr. Alison Kadlec offers helpful guidance for how to create the conditions for positive change on your campus.
Just 13 percent of students who enter community college earn a degree within six years, even though 80 percent indicate that that’s their goal. This leaky transfer pipeline has many holes that can and must be addressed. Tackling Transfer Policy Advisory Board members recommend state and higher education leaders take the following steps to address systemic barriers that keep too many community college transfer students from completing degrees that lead to successful careers.
For colleges and universities to fully foster social mobility and develop America’s talent, successful transfer is critical, especially for the more than 8.7 million students enrolled nationally in community colleges. The Tackling Transfer Policy Advisory Board will challenge the status quo and make strong and clear recommendations for state transfer policy that will lead to equitable transfer student outcomes. This is the first in a series of forthcoming publications produced by Tackling Transfer board members that will examine the state policy conditions needed to drive scaled and measurable improvements for transfer students.
Recent surveys show that a growing number of high school graduates and college students are opting to attend community colleges this fall because they are affordable and closer to home. Those who lost jobs in the post-COVID economy are also turning to community colleges to gain and sharpen skills that lead back to jobs. The combination is creating an unprecedented level of student movement between two- and four-year colleges. There’s even a name for it in higher education circles – the “corona swirl.”