Within the complex organizational structures of postsecondary institutions, transformative change requires a strategically networked community of dedicated practitioners. This report describes the networks of transformative partnership praxis between two-year and four-year institutions working on improved STEM transfer pathways. Data from the…

Upward transfer from a community college to a four-year institution is a distinct component of higher education and has long been envisioned as an accessible and affordable route to a bachelor's degree for students who are Latinx, Black, underrepresented Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native, as…

An increasing number of all undergraduate students are attending more than one university in their path toward earning a four-year college degree. With a national push toward free and accessible community college and the rising cost of higher education in general, more and more students are transferring between institutions. As a result, four-year…

While residents of Los Angeles County appear to have access to seemingly endless postsecondary opportunities within their proximity, the geography of opportunity for accessible options of higher education leading to bachelor's degrees in the area requires further exploration. This case study explores the spatial contexts and 3-year transfer…

Community colleges offer students points of entry to a better way of life, and one of the most significant ways they do so is through low-cost accrual of college credit that can be applied to a bachelor's degree upon transfer to a four-year college or university. Most students who attend community college intend to transfer; in fact, in a 2022…

This literature-based study traces the emergence and application of theoretical frameworks and conceptual models applied to the study of higher education transfer students and practices. From the application of early theories in economics and anthropology dating back to the 18th century, to the development of transfer-specific frameworks as…

Transfer students are an increasingly important piece of the college athletics puzzle; however, little is known about the athletic identity of this important population and the effects of COVID on their commitment to sport. The purpose of this study was to measure and compare the athletic identity levels of NCAA student-athletes who transferred to…

The transition to university is a time of great change and adjustment. The challenges of university life can lead to numerous negative consequences for the students. Despite the importance of successful transition for both the student and the university, the current body of literature comprises methodological inconsistencies and disparate…

The internal lateral transfer student population, defined as students who transition from one bachelor's granting campus to another within one multicampus institution, is often left out of the literature in the field of transfer studies (Cepeda et al., 2021; Jaggars et al., 2023). The present study investigates the relationship between stigma,…

Given the prevalence of transfer activity, education stakeholders must understand how transfer may be associated with student outcomes. Such knowledge is critical, as the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn have impacted college enrollment and student transfer behavior. Relying on a sample of 6510 undergraduate students from BPS:12/17 data, we…

To sustain the higher education industry and address U.S. economic downturns, researchers must prioritize research on undergraduates aged 24 or above -- contemporary students. This empirical study finds contemporary students have lower chances of attaining degrees--"any degrees"--than their younger peers. Using nationally representative…

The American Council on Education (2021) estimates that 38% of fall 2019 undergraduate students will change schools within six years. Of that group, only 13% are projected to earn a bachelor's degree (NCES, 2019). Clearly, there is a disjoint between the goals of transfer students and the programs that are in place to help them meet their goals.…

This phenomenological study explored perceived first-generation college student retention at a Texas four-year higher education institution post-vertical transfer. The participants in this study consisted of 12 full-time and part-time students who identified as first-generation college students and had vertically transferred from a two-year higher…

Vertical transfer students are students who begin study at a two-year institution and transfer into a four-year institution (Kozeracki, 2001; Taylor & Jain, 2017). These students constituted 10% of the college student population in the United States (National Center for Education Statistics, 2020) in the fall 2020 semester. Concerningly,…

Beginning with the revision of the existing Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA) in 2014, North Carolina policymakers have implemented several articulation agreements that create structured pathways between two- and four-year colleges. The purpose of this article is to detail the demographic makeup and post-transfer outcomes of transfer…