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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.

University of Minnesota Streamlines the Transfer Process

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.

UCF Partners to Increase Access and Degree Completion

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.

SUNY Poly Creates Pathways for Community College Transfers

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.

UNT Provides a Guided Transition for Transfer Students

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.

UNC Charlotte: Nearly Half of Students are Transfers

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.

CU Denver Creates Guaranteed Admissions Promise

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.

Portland State Welcomes More Transfer Students than any Institution in Oregon

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.

Penn State’s Transfer Credit Tool helps Military Members

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.

Virginia Tech Creates Programs to Help the Onboarding Process

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.

UMaine: Changing the FAFSA Deadline Has a Profound Impact

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.

UCSC Works with SJCC to Break Barriers to Success

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.

UC Riverside Collaborates with Students at Local Institutions

UC Riverside

UC Riverside Collaborates with Students at Local Institutions

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Community College Partnerships

Degree Completion

Texas State Makes a Commitment to Transfer Students

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.

FIU Uses Evidence-Based Transfer Affirming Approaches

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.

Iowa State Ensures Smooth Transition for Community College Transfers

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.

Sacramento State Coaches Help Navigate the Transfer Process

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.

Montana State Creates Seamless Interface for Transfer Students

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.

VCU is Committed to Seeing Every Student Succeed

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.

CUNY: The Bronx Transfer Affinity Group (BTAG)

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.

ADVANCE: A GMU/NOVA Partnership

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).

UMASS Amherst Provides Pathways for Students at Colleges that Recently Closed

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.