A recent U.S. Department of Education report highlighting the top two- and four-year colleges and universities supporting student transfer was released earlier this month with groundbreaking data.
Nearly 40% of students transfer at some point during their collegiate journey, and they lose more than 40% of their credits on average when they transfer from one institution to another resulting in lost time, money and all too often, the degree or certificate they are pursuing due to never completing their graduation requirements. As a result, the U.S. Department of Education has launched its “Raise the Bar: Attaining College Excellence and Equity” initiative with the goal of improving the student transfer process to boost degree completion by working with higher education leaders across the country.
The Department of Education study looked at a substantial sample of students who began their collegiate journey in 2014. Bucks County Community College has the highest transfer-out rate (44%) of Title IV students among Pennsylvania community colleges. Title IV funding refers to federal financial aid such as Federal Direct Student Loans and Federal Pell Grants. Of the 700 Title IV students who started a two-year cohort in 2014, 311 of those enrolled at a four-year institution within eight years. In addition, the Bucks County Community College and Temple University transfer partnership was recognized as having the best completion rate in the state.
“Students participating in the Temple University dual admission transfer agreement benefit from being conditionally accepted to Temple, having their application fee waived and access to merit scholarships up to $2,000 per year depending on their GPA,” according to Bucks.
“Bucks has dual admission agreements with 28 colleges and universities providing many options to students seeking a bachelor’s degree,” she added. In total, the college has transfer and general articulation agreements with more than 66 institutions.
However, the Department of Education’s “Raise the Bar” initiative is not focused exclusively on four-year degree pathways. The effort involves improving access for students from all socio-economic backgrounds to succeed in whichever academic or occupational pathway they choose. The focus of the initiative in 2024 will be on improving completion rates and ensuring student outcomes lead to better employment and earnings potential.
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