The Transfer Student: A Vital Component of Undergraduate Enrollment National Small College Enrollment Conference July 2019 Colleen Murphy, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing, William Peace University

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Continued Competition for Transfer Students August 2018 – University of California system announced that it has accepted more transfer students than ever before And Princeton accepted 13 transfer students, the first enrolled since 1990 63% of public institutions and 85% of private institution plan to increase efforts to recruit transfer students (Inside Higher Ed survey of Admission Directors, 2018) This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

Scanning the transfer market Over 80 percent of community college students intend to earn at least a bachelor’s degree (Community College Research Center) 25% transfer within 5 years 17% earn a bachelor’s within 6 years of transferring Transfer students help with diversity Community colleges enroll 41 percent of all US undergraduates 56% of native American undergrads are enrolled in community colleges 52 percent of Hispanic undergrads are enrolled in community colleges 43 percent of African American undergrads are enrolled in community colleges

Scanning the transfer market, continued 15% of all AA degrees are done in 2 years or less 42% of all BA degrees are done in 4 years or less AA degree: 5.5 years to finish (avg) BA degree: 5.7 years to finish (avg) Slowest way to a BA degree is getting AA first but it raises the odds of finishing

Top Concerns of Transfer Students RNL Blog: Transferability of courses; Academic Advising and Guidance; Career Counseling and Placement (2014) NRRCUA/CHEGG Survey: Transferability, Cost, Difficulty of Classes

Transferable Credits EAB Report: Paving the Path to Transfer Transfer students lose an average of 13 credit hours in their transition, with nearly 40% of students unable to articulate a single credit NRRCUA/CHEGG Study Transfer students lose 10% of their CC credit 14% lose more than 90% of their credit Students who move between public schools lost, on average, 37 percent of their credits (2017 report from the Government Accountability Office )

Academic Advising and Guidance 51% felt process was challenging 76% unsure where to transfer to (apply to 1-2 schools) Over half do not plan to reach out to admissions before starting the application 78% use google College Fairs: not a place to get growth NRCCUA/CHEGG study

Cost Discount rates have moved up steadily for transfers I APPLIED TO [A FOUR-YEAR UNIVERSITY] AS A FRESHMAN AND GOT SCHOLARSHIPS. THEN I APPLIED [TO THE SAME UNIVERSITY] AS A TRANSFER STUDENT AND DIDN’T GET [SCHOLARSHIPS]. WHERE DID THEY GO?” — CURRENT COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRANSFER STUDENT (Transfer Playbook – Aspen Institute and Community College Research) Texas Christian University now offers full-tuition scholarships for transfer students

Are you prepared to serve the transfer student? Trained admission staff Dedicated web presence, easy to find, usable resources (transfer guide, clear scholarship and financial aid information) Relationships with community colleges, and regular visits Articulation agreements

Basic rules for four-year colleges and universities Transcript evaluations are a priority. Do not require application! Online transfer guides and articulation agreements should be easy to understand and accessible. Distinct communication flow Specific visit opportunities including career, faculty and financial aid offices

Building the pool Roll over program Use National Clearinghouse to identify admits who went to community college PTK Names/Programs Raise Me

Reducing Barriers On-Site Transfer Resources Wraparound Advising Partnerships Program-Specific Curriculum Alignments Priority Application Review Automated Credit Equivalency Estimator Self-Service Degree Forecast Paving the Path to Transfer, EAB, Enrollment Management Forum

Transfer-Friendly Examples Cornell College Pilot Program Faculty Transfer Task Force Researched trends and challenges Developed a pilot program (AA meets gen ed requirements, junior level, degree plan) South Dakota School of Mines & Technology Addressing gaps in institutional knowledge Making necessary tech upgrades Revamping orientation and communication Appalachian State Transfer Symposium Curriculum alignment (community college faculty, University faculty) 13 community colleges attended

Transfer-Friendly Examples, continued DePaul’s University https://www.depaul.edu/admission-and-aid/types-of-admission/transfer- student/Pages/default.aspx Franklin University Credit Evaluation Tool and Webpage https://www.franklin.edu/admissions/community-college-students

What resources are available to help us? AACRAO – The Transfer Handbook: Promoting Student Success AACRAO annual conference Intentional work with registrar, advising and counseling professionals and organizations Prior Learning (American Council on Education (ACE), AACRAO)