This study models reverse transfer, lateral transfer, and college withdrawal behavior for a national sample of students who began college at bachelor's granting institutions. Descriptive data illustrate statistical differences in the characteristics, habitus, early college experiences and supports, and institutional characteristics of students who…

A growing number of university graduates delay workforce entry to reverse transfer to a community college for additional training. This trend is common in 2-year physical therapist assistant (PTA) programs where over 34% of all PTA students have a prior earned bachelor's degree. The problem addressed in this study is that little research is…

Despite the robust literature on the effects of financial aid, the effects of financial aid loss remain largely understudied. We employ a regression discontinuity design, leveraging a minimum GPA scholarship renewal threshold, to examine the effect of losing state merit aid eligibility on college student stop-out, transfer, and bachelor's degree…

Despite the robust literature on the effects of financial aid, the effects of financial aid loss remain largely understudied. We employ a regression discontinuity design, leveraging a minimum GPA scholarship renewal threshold, to examine the effect of losing state merit aid eligibility on college student stop-out, transfer, and bachelor's degree…

As the nation works toward higher postsecondary attainment goals, states are looking into ways to increase successful degree completion for students in higher education. A broad consensus between states, philanthropic interests, and the business and labor communities is that higher attainment rates are required to meet the workforce demands of the…

Many states are experimenting with mechanisms for making college more affordable while maintaining quality and access. This report examines promising or innovative state programs to improve college affordability and credential attainment. Many of these approaches show innovative thinking and bear watching to see if they result in meaningful…

College departure involves multiple mobility patterns that include lateral transfer (from a four-year to another four-year institution), reverse transfer (from a four-year to a two-year institution), and stop out (taking time out of higher education altogether). This study addresses how financial aid influences the likelihood of such mobility…

By probing the micro-level interactions and experiences shaping students' thoughts, behaviors, and decisions during college the authors hope to generate a better picture of how individuals enact the intersection of their own agency with their given social context. Such insights may enable a more accurate and meaningful interpretation of the…

In higher education, the two-year community college serves many roles. Probably the most well-known roles include serving underrepresented populations--those students who are the first in their families to attend college, those whose families don't have the financial means to send their children to a four-year college, and/or those whose academic…

A growing number of students, called reverse transfer students, attend community colleges at the same time they are enrolled at a four-year institution or after they earn a bachelor's degree. This article explains the motivations and effects of reverse transfer on both students and institutions, and it discusses the potentially positive…

This cumulative report presents the synopses of the major articles, research notes, and publications from the Transfer and Retention of Urban Community College Students (TRUCCS) project. After a Letter from the Director and sections on the people and origins of TRUCCS, and a synopses, the report contains the following sections: (1) Transfer…

In this article, the authors discuss the alternate degree paths for both non-traditional and traditional students and offer ways for institutions to accommodate nontraditional students. Students attend multiple institutions of higher education for myriad reasons. Increasingly common, a student may start a four-year institution and then do a…

This report presents the characteristics of students who failed in their first four-year college attempt, then transferred into community colleges, and subsequently moved on to a four-year college and succeeded. While the numbers who moved on through each stage dropped, they were large enough to identify recovery as a valuable community college…

This report presents the results of the 20th annual study of application and enrollment patterns of transfer students within the State University of New York (SUNY). The report includes data on transfer students moving from two-year colleges to other two-year colleges, from senior institutions to two-year colleges, and from two-year to senior…

This study deals with the reverse transfer student population at Broward Community College. In a previous study 211 reverse transfer students out of a total population of 809 reverse transfer students were mailed a questionnaire which elicited responses in various areas, including demographic information and previous academic record. 134 responses…