Policy and Practice Recommendations
Based on NEBHE’s experience in developing the Guarantee, the following transfer policies and practices are recommended to help seal the leaks in the transfer pipeline at this critical juncture:
Examine long-established transfer policies and adopt practices that mitigate credit loss
- Reduce barriers for transfer students by considering systematic transfer practices such as acceptance of the general education core as a block and/or providing pathway maps by major.
- Commit to transparency by clearly identifying courses that count towards a student's chosen major, as well as how many credits and courses remain to degree completion.
- Accept community college credits awarded through prior learning, AP, IB, ESL, dual credit, early college programs and online classes.
Provide wrap-around support and advising
- Provide pre-application to post- acceptance supports such as intensive advising, academic guidance, peer advising, personal counseling, and career services.
- Mitigate “transfer shock” by providing orientations, peer-to-peer advising and actively welcoming students into the campus community.
Establish a transfer-receptive institutional culture
- Make transfer students a priority, especially those that are first generation and/or low-income.
- Provide resources that target student socio-emotional needs and recognize the challenges that many students are now experiencing in the pandemic including homelessness, food insecurity, unemployment and mental health issues.
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Establish institutional “Transfer Guiding Principles” (view Guiding Principles of the Guarantee).
Form inter-institutional partnerships, transfer pathways, and/or admissions guarantees
- Form inter-institutional partnerships, which outline clear transfer pathways and agreements. These partnerships provide certainty for students during an uncertain time by ensuring comprehensive, detailed, and up-to-date transfer information is available.
- Establish transfer pathways and agreements, especially those with admissions guarantees, with features such as: program-to-program pathway maps, clear criteria for guaranteed admission (in most cases a minimum GPA), transparency for additional admission requirements for specific programs, as well as information regarding total cost to complete the degree.
Increase affordability for transfer students
- Provide transparency on the total cost to complete a degree.
- Waive application fees.
- Provide the same financial aid including, merit awards, to transfer students that are extended to first-year students.
- Delineate incentives for transfer students with easy to understand qualifying criteria.
