Students can gain a great deal from transfer programs—if they understand the process.
Community college transfer programs are garnering increased attention. As the cost of higher education balloons and affirmative action policies weaken, transfer programs are one of the few remaining ways that lower-income or marginalized students can increase their chances of access to a four-year degree. But transfer programs also have a reputation for inconsistency and logistical complexity, which can make them seem like an uphill battle to the students that could benefit from them most.
Nevertheless, transfer programs present significant potential advantages for students seeking reduced costs, multidisciplinary experimentation, a clearer educational path, and any number of other benefits. And while the programs do have their pitfalls, students who navigate them successfully are well positioned for success in the job market.
Community colleges have a tremendous marketing tool in transfer programs—particularly if they’ve already built strong relationships, directly or through state policies, with four-year institutions. Making the opportunities and challenges clear to prospective students can increase enrollment and incentivize four-year universities to collaborate more closely with their community college counterparts.
Transfer programs reduce the cost of a degree—and of exploration.
Many students arrive to community college with focused goals of graduation and a stable career in a particular field. However, plenty of others aren’t yet sure what subject they want to pursue, and are looking for an opportunity to sample multiple disciplines.
Community colleges offer a low-stakes opportunity for students to try a variety of subjects, from esoteric choices like philosophy to the more pragmatic world of the skilled trades. Costs to switching fields are relatively low, and there’s no need for a student to commit to a particular course of study until they’re ready. In either case, once students decide on a field, they can pursue courses that will earn them credit toward a bachelor’s degree upon transfer, and complete them at a much lower cost per credit than at a four-year institution.
However, many four-year universities have developed a reputation for opaque and inconsistent standards around transferring credits, which is why formalized transfer programs can set community colleges apart. Programs like the ADVANCE Initiative at George Mason University offer guaranteed admissions or dual enrollment relationships with local community colleges, allowing students to complete a course pathway, potentially earn their associate degree, and be certain that they will be admitted to the four-year school and their credits will transfer.
Other programs operate at the state level, like Tennessee Transfer Pathways or Missouri’s CORE 42, and guarantee that certain types of general education credits will transfer between any two- and four-year public (and some private) institutions. Community colleges that can guide their students through these transfer programs can offer them a secure path to a less costly degree.
Structured pathways offer an advantage for many students.
The logistics of enrollment in community college act as an obstacle course for many students, particularly those who also work or parent, who are the first in their family to attend college, or who have any other significant demands on their time and energy. The same hurdles of confusing criteria and decision fatigue face students as they progress through college course requirements and consider transferring.
Well-designed transfer programs can speak directly to the needs of these students, offering a highly structured path toward the valuable goals of degree and career. Not every student aspires to transfer to a four-year university. But for those that do, experts say that knowing exactly the steps to take can increase the chancesthat they’ll complete their degree.
Reverse transfers can encourage post-transfer success.
While some transfer programs require students to complete an associate degree before moving to a four-year institution, many do not. This can make transferring a gamble for students, since they risk losing not only course credits, but momentum toward a two-year degree. And while four-year degrees offer the highest potential earning benefits, two-year degrees are worth a non-trivial bump.
For students who need to work, an associate degree can help alleviate some of the economic stress they face. Reverse transfer allows students who have moved to a four-year institution to submit completed credits back to the two-year institution and receive their two-year degree, without interrupting their pursuit of a bachelor’s.
With a two-year degree in hand, transfer students at minimum have a partial return on their educational investment and a fallback option. For working students, the increased earning potential could make the difference between continuing or being forced to abandon their four-year degree path.
More students will seek out transfer programs, and community colleges should be ready for them.
The appeal of community college transfer programs is poised to grow. Aperture Content Marketing can help your institution communicate the value of your transfer options with multichannel marketing strategies that encompass social media, print magazines, and customizable micro-sites for your institution’s online presence. Our content library contains researched, informative articles to enhance your existing marketing, which your team can use as templates or deploy as they are. Contact us today to learn how our platform can help you forge a stronger link between your institution and career success for prospective students.