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University of Wisconsin Madison
Our Work

Supporting Transfer Students & Ensuring Their Success

APLU and its member universities are ensuring 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.

APLU Efforts

  • Equity Transfer Initiative: APLU is joining with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities in a new effort to increase transfer rates for African American, Hispanic, adult, and first-generation learners.
     
  • Powered by Publics—Transfer Student Study: APLU’s Powered by Publics (PxP) initiative is supporting an examination of transfer credit efficiency at public colleges and universities in North Carolina. Loss of credits during the transfer process can delay students’ progress toward a degree and even cause them to leave the institution altogether before completing a degree. With a disproportionate share of low-income and underrepresented minority students transferring, credit loss can compound existing inequities in college completion rates.
     
  • Student Achievement Measure (SAM): SAM is a transparency initiative where higher education institutions track students across institutions to create a more complete picture of undergraduate student progress and completion within the higher education system. SAM helps fill some of the void left in federal higher education data by capturing degree progress for students transferring into four-year institution.

How Public Universities are Supporting Transfer Student Success

In acknowledgement of the great work happening at APLU member campuses this repository for Transfer Success allows users to view programs with particular emphasis on:

  • Diversity, equity and inclusion;
  • Community College Partnerships;
  • Curriculum Design;
  • Degree Completion; and
  • Military/Veterans.

Click here to submit your institution's Transfer Student Success Programs.

Category:
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University of Minnesota Twin Cities
University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota Streamlines the Transfer Process
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Degree Completion
In January 2018, the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities implemented a new electronic process for transfer credit evaluation, replacing a previous paper based process, and streamlined the transfer process for thousands of students.
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UCF campus
University of Central Florida
UCF Partners to Increase Access and Degree Completion
Community College Partnerships
Curriculum Design
Degree Completion
DirectConnect to UCF is a partnership-driven, college access program founded on the principles of access, choice, transition, flexibility, academic support and guaranteed pathways.
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SUNY Poly
SUNY Polytechnic Institute
SUNY Poly Creates Pathways for Community College Transfers
Community College Partnerships
Curriculum Design
Degree Completion
Transfer students benefit from dual enrollment, general, and program-specific articulation agreements with schools throughout New York State, which provide a roadmap from associate to bachelor’s degree and beyond.
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UNT Classroom
University of North Texas
UNT Provides a Guided Transition for Transfer Students
Curriculum Design
Degree Completion
Providing a guided transition that is as seamless and affordable as possible is key to ensuring that transfer students are successful in their college journey.
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UNC CHarlotte classroom
University of North Carolina Charlotte
UNC Charlotte: Nearly Half of Students are Transfers
Community College Partnerships
Curriculum Design
Degree Completion
Through the UNC Charlotte Transfer Center, the University provides support and resources for a seamless transition among transfer students.
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CU Denver
University of Colorado Denver
CU Denver Creates Guaranteed Admissions Promise
Community College Partnerships
Curriculum Design
Bridge to Bachelor’s Degree enables students to declare CU Denver as their transfer institution of choice at the start of their collegiate journey.
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Portland State
Portland State University
Portland State Welcomes More Transfer Students than any Institution in Oregon
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Community College Partnerships
Curriculum Design
In February 2020, PSU officially opened a Transfer & Returning Student Resource Center (TRSRC) as a direct result of PSU listening to students who identified a need for specialized support for transfer students.
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Penn State Students
The Pennsylvania State University
Penn State's Transfer Credit Tool helps Military Members
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Military and Veterans
Military service members and veterans looking to attend Penn State can now use an online tool to see how their experiences in the military can translate into credits toward a Penn State degree.
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Virginia Tech Students
Virginia Tech University
Virginia Tech Creates Programs to Help the Onboarding Process
Curriculum Design
Degree Completion
The Hokie Transfer Community (HTC) provides students with free or low cost programs designed to enhance their onboarding process.
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University of Maine Folger Library
University of Maine
UMaine: Changing the FAFSA Deadline Has a Profound Impact
Community College Partnerships
Curriculum Design
To allow more new transfer students to file their FAFSA on time, UMaine moved the on-time FAFSA filing date for new transfers: The results were spectacular.
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UCSC Photo
University of California Santa Cruz
UCSC Works with SJCC to Break Barriers to Success
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Community College Partnerships
Degree Completion
Cultivamos Excelencia is a partnership between San Jose City College (SJCC) and the University of California (UC) Santa Cruz designed to address barriers to transfer access, retention, and graduation through three high impact activities.
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UC Riverside
UC Riverside
UC Riverside Collaborates with Students at Local Institutions
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Community College Partnerships
Degree Completion
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Texas State
Texas State University
Texas State Makes a Commitment to Transfer Students
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Curriculum Design
Degree Completion
Being "transfer-friendly" is more than a catchphrase; it is an institutional commitment to make the assimilation process responsive to new transfers.
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FIU Students
Florida International University (FIU)
FIU Uses Evidence-Based Transfer Affirming Approaches
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Community College Partnerships
Curriculum Design
Degree Completion
Florida International University (FIU) supports the 2nd largest transfer enrollment in the nation in a state with a comprehensive articulation model and strong transfer outcomes.
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Iowa State University Students
Iowa State University
Iowa State Ensures Smooth Transition for Community College Transfers
Community College Partnerships
Curriculum Design
Iowa State University’s Admissions Partnership Program is the centerpiece of the university’s longstanding commitment to the success of transfer students from Iowa’s community colleges.
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Sacramento State
California State University, Sacramento
Sacramento State Coaches Help Navigate the Transfer Process
Community College Partnerships
Curriculum Design
The Transfer Peer Coach Program at Sacramento State is designed to help community college students effectively navigate the transfer process and build connection with the university.
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Montana State
Montana State University
Montana State Creates Seamless Interface for Transfer Students
Curriculum Design
Over 1,000 students have transferred between the MSU campuses using the Seamless MSU interface. Complaints are down and cross-campus collaboration is the new normal.
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VCU
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)
VCU is Committed to Seeing Every Student Succeed
Curriculum Design
Degree Completion
Military and Veterans
In 2020, VCU formed advisory councils for adult and military student services to develop recommendations for improving transfer policies and expanding those services in support of these student populations.
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City University of New York (CUNY)
CUNY: The Bronx Transfer Affinity Group (BTAG)
Community College Partnerships
Degree Completion
The Bronx Transfer Affinity Group (BTAG) was created in 2018 by CUNY's Lehman College and Bronx, Hostos, and Guttman Community Colleges. BTAG’s goals include creating a graduation habit at each of the colleges, developing a culture of transfer, and reducing barriers to transfer student success.
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George Mason ADVANCE Program
George Mason University
ADVANCE: A GMU/NOVA Partnership
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Community College Partnerships
Curriculum Design
Since launching in fall 2018, ADVANCE, a partnership between George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community College, has welcomed more than 2,200 students from diverse backgrounds (60% non-White; 61% from low-income families; and 48% are the first in their families to go to college).
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UMASS Amherst Mount Ida Vet Tech Program
University of Massachusetts Amherst
UMASS Amherst Provides Pathways for Students at Colleges that Recently Closed
Curriculum Design
Degree Completion
Recent closures of small private colleges in Massachusetts mean the state’s public universities need to provide transfer pathways for these students. This is a particular challenge for students pursuing specialized degrees, such as the BS in Veterinary Technology at the former Mount Ida College.
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