One-third of all students who began their postsecondary education in 2006 transferred (before earning a degree or certificate) to a different institution within a five-year period, according to a new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
The report reveals that the majority of transfers occurred in students’ second year, regardless of the direction of transfer (vertical, lateral or reverse). The most prevalent transfer destination was public two-year institutions, even among students who started at a four-year institution.
NEBHE and the New England states have been keenly interested in students’ transfer activity.
Among transfer-related efforts in New England:
Advantage U is a partnership between Maine Community Colleges and the University of Maine system guaranteeing community college graduates admission to a university in the U of Maine system.
MassTransfer is designed to ease the college transfer process in Massachusetts through defined coursework, an online portal, and resources for faculty and students.
The Transfer Guide published annually by the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education outlines the articulation policies across all three public institutions in the Ocean State.
NEJHE recently highlighted new trends in student transfer in an article titled The Good Business of Transfer by national consultant Chari A. Leader. She noted that academic and career entry and exit points now span a lifetime for “swirling, dropping in, dropping out, and moving on” learners.
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