Transfer Credit Evaluations: How They are Produced, Why It Matters, and How to Serve Students Better.

RESEARCH HAS FOUND THAT APPROXIMATELY ONE-THIRD OF UNDERGRADUATES TRANSFER FROM ONE COLLEGE TO ANOTHER AND THAT TRANSFERRING IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY COMMON. IN THIS STUDY, THE AUTHORS FOCUS ON THE TRANSFER CREDIT PROCESS, RESEARCHING HOW ACADEMIC CREDIT IS EVALUATED AND WHEN IN THE ENROLLMENT PROCESS STUDENTS RECEIVE A DEGREE-SPECIFIC TRANSFER CREDIT EVALUATION. THE AUTHORS UNDERTAKE A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY OF SIX PRIVATE, NONPROFIT, FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES IN NEW YORK STATE-THREE THAT PROVIDE "EARLY" TRANSFER CREDIT EVALUATIONS (THOSE GIVEN PRIOR TO THE STUDENT'S REQUIRED ENROLLMENT DEPOSIT) AND THREE THAT PROVIDE "LATE" TRANSFER CREDIT EVALUATIONS (THOSE GIVEN ONLY AFTER THE REQUIRED ENROLLMENT DEPOSIT). THE AUTHORS ENCOURAGE INSTITUTIONS TO PROVIDE ALL ADMITTED TRANSFER STUDENTS A DEGREE-SPECIFIC TRANSFER CREDIT EVALUATION PRIOR TO REQUIRING THEIR ENROLLMENT DEPOSIT; SUCH INFORMATION IS ESSENTIAL FOR TRANSFER STUDENTS TO MAKE AN INFORMED ENROLLMENT DECISION.THE PROBLEMFor a student transferring from one college to another-as from a community college to a four-year college-transfer credit represents time and money (Bell Z004). It represents the time and money the student spent earning credit up to the point of transferring as well as the time and money that will be required to complete a degree at the college to which she transfers. Given the value of transfer credit, students are advised to use transfer credit acceptance and credit applicability to intended degree as factors in their decisions regarding which four-year college to attend (Dunn Z004; Gonsher and Halberstam Z009; Silver Z009; Stainburn zon). Unfortunately, many colleges provide degree-specific transfer credit evaluations only after students commit to attend the institution by making a nonrefundable deposit-typically of several hundred dollars-to hold their place in the incoming class (American Association of Collegiate Registrars zooi; Ashby zoos; Knoell and Medsker 1965; Stainburn zon). Colleges that require a financial commitment from students before providing a degreespecific transfer credit evaluation are essentially telling transfer students, "Buy now! We'll tell you later what it will actually cost you. "Difficulties in the transfer process take on heightened significance as a result of the prevalence of transfer students in undergraduate higher education in the United States. The National Center for Education Statistics followed a nationally representative sample of college students for six years, beginning with their initial enrollment, and found that 3z percent of the students transferred from their initial institution to another (Berkner, Fie and Cataldi zooz). Other studies have found the total transfer student percentage to be much higher, depending on how "transfer student" is defined (Handel and Wilhams zoiz). Thus, transfer-related difficulties-such as not receiving transfer credit evaluations in a timely fashion-could affect between one-third and one-half of students who pursue a college degree.Not only are transfer students a significant percentage of the total undergraduate population in the United States, but the percentage is increasing (Adelman zoo5, Cutright 2011, Jacobs 2004b, McGlynn 2006). The Spellings Commission notes that "more students than ever before have adopted a cafeteria' approach to their education, taking classes at multiple institutions before obtaining a credential" (U.S. Department of Education 2006, p.xiii). A recent report on transfer students notes that the "traditional" full-time, eighteen to 22-year-old students who attend a single college for four years "no longer dominate college classrooms" (Center for American Progress 2011, p. 3). This increase in the percentage of transfer students may relate to the growing financial incentive associated with attending community college prior to transferring to a four-year school (Gonsher and Halberstam 2009; McGlynn 2006). Public two-year colleges are the "most likely postsecondary entry point for economically disadvantaged students, minority students, and first-generation college attendees" (Gutierrez 2004, p. …