OVAE: Office of Vocational and Adult Education
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Transferring from Community Colleges to Baccalaureate Institutions

Research and Evaluation | Noteworthy Practices | Additional Links

The transfer function is a central goal of community colleges. At least one-quarter of students who enroll at community college have as a goal transferring to a baccalaureate degree granting institution. Yet, many students do not achieve this goal.

Even though the reasons that students do or do not transfer are complex, there appears to be two key factors that facilitate the transfer process. One key factor is the type of articulation policies established by states or institutions. Articulation policies refer to the regulations that guide the transfer process from one college to the other. States with comprehensive articulation policies, such as Florida and Illinois, support a smoother and more coherent transfer process. These states established a common core of general education courses that cover the first two-years of a postsecondary education. Therefore, students can take courses at community colleges and know that these courses are accepted anywhere within the state's public system of higher education. Students, in states with institution-by-institution articulation policies, face multiple challenges in the transfer process including unclear general education course requirements that could lead to having to repeat courses, lost time, and increased costs.

The other key factor is the types of academic and social support services offered to students in preparation for transfer. Community colleges with greater transfer rates provide a variety of support services through visible and accessible transfer centers. These same colleges also provide advance courses to prepare students academically.

Research and Evaluation

Noteworthy Practices

Additional Links


 
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Last Modified: 06/09/2008