Adult students are critical to addressing the college completion crisis. Retention and completion for adults lags behind students who enter college directly from high school. However, higher education has largely been built around service to younger high school graduates, and institutions are slow to change. A shift in focus to accommodate the…

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…

Postbaccalaureate reverse transfer students (PRTSs) are students that enroll at a community college after completion of at least a bachelor's degree. This study expanded the definition of PRTSs by including students that had completed an associate's degree prior to enrolling at a community college. This report is an exploratory, descriptive study…

Swirling is an emergent transfer pattern among college students. Swirlers are students who may have participated in a combination of reverse transfer, lateral transfer, or traditional transfer patterns. The available research on swirling has been predominately quantitative in nature. This study was designed to obtain qualitative data on…

The reverse transfer literature contains studies investigating the demographic characteristics of postsecondary students that attended a community college after attending a four-year institution, and their proportion in the community college student population. A few researchers have investigated reverse transfer student motives for enrolling in…

Reverse transferring, or moving from a four-year institution to a community college, has been depicted in recent research as one of the major forms of student mobility. Since reverse transferring is associated with extremely low rates of degree completion, it is critical to better understand the predictors of reverse transferring and what happens…

Among all the students who transfer from one institution to another during their academic careers, a distinct group of "reverse transfer" students has emerged over time. Reverse transfer occurs when students begin their college careers at 4-year institutions but eventually transfer into 2-year institutions. Using student unit record data…

Reducing socioeconomic differences in college transfer requires a better understanding of how and why parental education, occupational class, and family income are associated with changing colleges. Building on prior studies of traditional community college transfer we explore relationships between those factors and two types of transfer among…

This report summarizes the trends in transfer students at Maryland public higher education institutions during the past 10 years, 1993-2002. Specifically, the figures include the number of students enrolled at a community college in the fall of each year who transferred to a public four-year institution by the fall of the following year; the…

Describes a statewide study on completer (graduates of four-year institutions) and noncompleter reverse transfer students enrolled at the 14 community colleges in Kentucky. Finds that, based on the 885 students' answers (63% response rate): (1) noncompleters desired an associate's degree and basic skills improvement; and (2) completers wanted to…

Presents suggestions for community colleges to consider in developing admissions policies for transfer students. (RK)

Suggests that community college administrators know too little about the students already possessing baccalaureate degrees who are now entering community colleges in increasing numbers to seek a degree or certificate specifically to change their employment pattern and/or life-style. Recommends that community colleges carefully study this group and…

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…

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) conducts surveys of postsecondary students to inform policymakers and the general public on a variety of issues facing higher education in the United States. An American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) researcher prepared this brief using data from NCES's Baccalaureate and Beyond…

Data from a survey directed at reverse transfer students in the University of Kentucky Community College System was analyzed based upon the responses from two groups: 734 completers (those who had completed a baccalaureate) and 148 noncompleters. Profiles of reverse transfer students are compiled. Contains 28 references. (TGO)