According to a February 2024 report from Columbia University, only about one-third of community college students transfer to four-year schools, and only 16% earn an undergraduate degree within six years. And, for those students who are low income or the first in their families to attend college, the transfer percentages from community colleges to universities is even lower.
As a “transfer-friendly” university, A&M-Central Texas has proactively recruited and retained community college students since its inception in 2009, and there is more than a decade of data that suggests that they are performing better than the traditional universities cited in the Columbia University report.
Yet, Rose Salas, Manager of the University’s Transfer Services, believes that until every community college student transfers and graduates, there is still more to do. That, she says, is where Transfer Pathways comes in.
Described as a “whole college” reform model designed to help community college students explore, choose, plan, transfer, and complete their undergraduate degree, Transfer Pathways caters to potential students entering the university from a variety of diverse backgrounds including early college high schools, community colleges, or other universities.
Salas points out that transfer pathways are designed to demystify the transfer process, ensuring that students understand how their previous academic work can be applied to their undergraduate degree plan – resulting in a shorter and less costly road to graduation.
“We have worked in collaboration with the community colleges themselves and created degree plans that show the student what classes to take while at the community college to guarantee that everything they take there will count toward their undergraduate major here,” Salas added.
University data suggests that about 57% of A&M-Central Texas graduates are “first-generation” degree recipients – meaning that they are the first in their family to pursue and complete a university degree, she said, adding that having early access to an outline of courses to be taken and in what order keeps students on track and avoids the expense of paying for unnecessary coursework.
“Our primary objective is to facilitate the timely completion of the bachelor’s degree for our students,” she said. “By showing them how the credits they have earned at the community college, we streamline their progress toward the degree and makes it even more affordable.”