4 Questions That Drive Institutional Change

Every potential transfer student will walk into an admissions office and ask the same four questions:

1. How will my credits transfer?
2. How long will it take me to graduate?
3. How much will it cost?
4. What about my major?

The university’s answers will determine if that student applies or walks away. Unlike a first-year student who may consider applying to a college or university over several weeks or months, these four questions facilitate a quick decision for transfer students about their next institution.

Colleges and universities can use these questions to initiate reviews of transfer policy and practice. They were foundational to the design of the Transfer Initiative Project in Minnesota. Rather than a top-down approach to the project, we organized our work starting at the ground level. We wanted our colleges and universities to develop better answers to the questions transfer students ask every day.

How Will My Credits Transfer?

Accepting community college courses as general credit only was no longer a selling point for students. Transfer coursework needed to meet requirements at the receiving institutions for efficient degree progression. Working as a group, our institutions recognized that general education goals were similar across institutions. Required coursework for the A.A. programs mirrored the required general education requirements for the first two years at our institutions. These reviews of transfer policy led to significant changes at our participating colleges and universities:

• The A.A. degree is accepted as a package at 13 of our private institutions with a minimum GPA requirement. The A.A. degree meets the general education requirements for the bachelor’s degree and establishes junior status.
• Signature courses, those that are unique to the university’s mission and vision, are reduced to two to three required courses and do not add additional credits for the degree.
• Introductory courses to majors are often included in the A.A. programs and can be applied to the major in most cases.

How Long Will It Take Me to Graduate?

Timelines for degree completion involve three main areas: general education requirements, major requirements and course scheduling. With the acceptance of the A.A. degree, students were expecting to complete their degree in two years if they were full-time. That was possible if the general education credits were met and signature requirements were limited to two to three.

The requirements for the major became central to degree timelines. Many of our institutions found that major courses were offered on a three-year cycle, assuming that students were enrolled at the university for four years. That didn’t work for transfer students. One solution was pathway agreements that accepted lower-division coursework from the community college programs to meet major requirements. We educated faculty on transfer barriers to their majors, community college bias and coursework rigor. Finding colleagues across institutions assured faculty of meeting accreditation requirements and content alignment. The pathways resulted in efficient degree progression for transfer students at junior status:

• Lower-division coursework is accepted and applied to the majors consistently across our programs.
• Upper-division course requirements remain and contain the unique program highlights that faculty were keen to retain.
• Pathway documents are user-friendly and provide a four-year degree plan for students, including the remaining major requirements for the program.
• The schedule for the remaining major coursework is reviewed to facilitate course availability for students to complete the major in two years if full-time. STEM courses are reviewed for availability within two to three years based on lab requirements.

How Much Will It Cost?

Addressing this question shed light on detrimental financial policy. Discount rates for transfer students were lower than the rates for first-year students, resulting in higher tuition costs. Merit-based scholarships were lower for transfer students, even if their incoming GPA was the same as a first-year student’s. Since transfer students tend to apply closer to the start of the term, they missed financial aid application deadlines or had to wait longer to receive financial award packages.

Our institutions took a hard look at the ROI for transfer students enrolling. Based on higher retention and stronger graduation rates, and competition with public institutions’ scholarship programs, many of our institutions adjusted their financial aid policies:

• Merit-based scholarships aligned with the same amounts for first-year students.
• Financial aid deadlines and awards adjusted to accommodate later applications.
• Discount rates were improved for transfer students.
• Institutions developed better data tracking on retention and graduation rates for transfers.

What About My Major?

The first three questions are transactional in nature—they discuss the business side of the transfer process. This question gets to the heart of a student’s education. They are pursuing something they love, that uses their skills and abilities, that launches them into their lifelong career. Once a student gets answers to the first three questions, they are ready to discuss the major. This is where the training for transfer specialists is critical. Unlike first-year recruiters, transfer specialists need an accurate understanding of major requirements, concentration tracks, unique features of the program, faculty specialties and career preparation. Transfer students are looking for the best fit: a program that has everything they need. Transfer specialists need this high level of knowledge to address this critical question.

• We highlighted the need for specialized training for transfer specialists.
• Transfer specialists are encouraged to have a “nugget of knowledge” for every major to share with a potential student on the spot.
• All pathway documents contain advising notes, which include concentration tracks for the major, research and internship opportunities, and any professional certifications in addition to the coursework listed.
• Transfer specialists identify faculty members that are a friendly contact for a potential transfer student with questions about the major.

Improving the Answer

Every transfer student will ask these four questions when they are looking for their next institution. In a single conversation, students can determine if this institution is right for them. Colleges and universities should review their answers and, if needed, begin the hard work of improving their responses.