Within the state of Illinois, the higher education structure includes many private institutions, a community college system, and four university systems. Since the early 1970s, efforts have been made at both institutional and state levels to improve articulation and transfer. Research conducted at Illinois State University (ISU) indicates that the transfer student population has become an increasing segment of the undergraduate student population, concomitant with an undergraduate enrollment reduction program designed to bring undergraduate enrollment to a level supported by existing fiscal resources. Within 7 years, fall undergraduate enrollment went from 28% to 39% transfer students, while at the upper division level, transfers increased from 44% to 52%. To improve service to transfer students, ISU implemented an on-line course articulation system in 1987, and conducted studies in fall 1994 of services provided to transfer students and of the persistence and graduation rates of transfer students. Over half of the students responding to the services survey had used registration, department/college advisement, student financial aid, student health, and records services, and with the exception of student financial aid services, over 60% of the respondents had positive evaluations of these services. Persistence rates for the fall 1983 to fall 1994 cohorts showed a persistence rate to the second year ranging from 70.5% to 80.3%, compared to a range of 71.9% to 80.4% for new beginning freshmen for the same time span. Transfer student continuation rate for the third year ranged from 38.4% to 43.4% compared to a range of 59.7% to 69.8% for new beginning freshmen. Graduation rates for new beginning transfer students were in a range from 22% to 33.5% at the end of 2 academic years. (KP)