APLU Statement on New Report on Reimagining Student Transfers

Washington, DC – APLU President Peter McPherson today released the following statement on strengthening the higher education transfer ecosystem and the release of the American Council on Education’s National Task Force on the Transfer and Award of Credit’s report, Reimagining Transfer for Student Success.

“The American Council on Education’s National Task Force on the Transfer and Award of Credit’s new report outlines six important actions institutions can consider as they work to improve transfer pathways for students. We were pleased that several public university presidents were part of this important effort. APLU looks forward to working with the higher education community to elevate innovative approaches that boost transfer student success.

“Public research universities are innovating to strengthen pathways for students to easily and efficiently transfer between institutions. For many students, far too many credits are lost during the transfer process, slowing their progress toward a degree.

“According a 2017 report, more than one in three students transfer between institutions, but lose 43 percent of earned credits in the process. With a disproportionate share of first-generation, low-income, and students of color transferring institutions, credit loss stands to compound long-standing inequities in educational opportunities and outcomes.

“Addressing the lack of robust national data is key to eliminating these barriers. The Student Achievement Measure helps fill some of the void left in federal higher education data by capturing degree progress for students transferring into four-year institutions. Still, more robust federal data is needed.

“We know that more than half of bachelor’s degree-earners transferred at some point. We need to be laser focused as a sector on finding ways to make the transfer process smoother and easier, which in many cases means ensuring the transfer of credit. Doing so will make a college education more affordable and more quickly graduate students and allow them and society to realize the benefits of their college education.”