1. 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

2. Introductions
A little bit about me
A little more about you

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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 )

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

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

13. 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

14. 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

15. Transfer-Friendly Examples, continued
DePaul’s University
student/Pages/default.aspx
Franklin University Credit Evaluation Tool and Webpage

16. 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)