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 exploratory study investigated how and to what extent reverse transfer has been implemented in Illinois, a state that did not receive funding as part of the Project Win Win (PWW) or Credit When It's Due (CWID) initiatives and where there are no statewide policies on reverse transfer. This mixed-methods study drew on survey and interview data…

Students who transfer between colleges risk losing credits and decreasing their chances of degree completion. Despite emerging evidence regarding the effectiveness of articulation agreements to address this challenge, it is unclear if these policies support nonlinear transfer pathways--including lateral transfer between 4-year colleges or reverse…

Reverse credit transfer policies and programs are proliferating, and this chapter examines their potential and considers ways to measure and collect data on reverse credit transfer.

Reverse credit transfer (RCT) is an emerging policy designed to award associate's degrees to students who transfer from 2-year to 4-year colleges after transfer. The purpose of this study is to estimate the impact of RCT degree receipt on students' university and labor outcomes using data from Texas, where the legislature passed RCT policy in…

In 2014, approximately 7.3 million undergraduate students (42 percent) were enrolled in community colleges in the US, the latest statistic offered by the Community College Research Center. At some schools, like Cleveland State University (OH), more transfer students graduated in 2014 with a bachelor's degree than students who entered four-year…

More states are considering what kinds of policies or processes can be put in place to successfully improve the degree attainment of their postsecondary students, and one popular option is a reverse transfer policy. Reverse transfer policies usually involve authorizing community colleges to award a degree or certificate to students that have…

In the past several years, reverse credit transfer programs expanded dramatically at the state and regional levels. Policymakers and institutional leaders recognize the potential of reverse credit transfer to contribute to college completion goals and increase the proportion of adults with a postsecondary credential. More importantly, reverse…

This article considers national Australian data on reverse transfer--the transfer of students from bachelor programs or higher to sub baccalaureate programs, institutions and sectors. It finds that previous studies have overstated the prevalence and perhaps also the significance of reverse transfer. The data are not good, but the best conclusion…

Reviews data on student transfers between colleges, especially transfers from community colleges to baccalaureate-granting institutions. Considers the overall transfer picture, community college transfer rates, and complicating factors such as varying times students spend at community colleges before transferring and the increasing incidence of…

Discusses a national study on postsecondary transfer and articulation. Finds that the majority of state higher education agencies collect transfer-related data and are prepared to use information to pursue improvements in the transfer environment, but that there appears to be a disconnection between the collection of transfer student information…

Postsecondary education needs to encourage open recognition of reverse (four-year college to two-year college) and lateral (two-year to two-year college) transfers not recognized in traditional articulation efforts, and develop constructive programs for them. (MSE)

Looks at students who move from a four-year to a two-year college in a process called reverse transfer. Categorizes these reverse transfer students, reviews what is known about their numbers, summarizes studies that describe the students and their experiences in the two-year colleges, and discusses institutional rationales for admitting them.…

Examines postbaccalaureate reverse transfer students (PRTSs) in Missouri to determine the nature and extent of mobility among recent public four-year college graduates who subsequently enrolled in community-college courses and programs. Presents state enrollment data and surveys chief academic officers of Missouri community colleges about their…

Describes (1) why both nondegree and degree-seeking postbaccalaureate reverse transfer students (PRTSs) attend two-year colleges and what they think of it, (2) what institutional changes or modifications these students would prefer, (3) what institutional problems their presence may create, and (4) how their presence can benefit two-year schools.…