KCTCS celebrates National Transfer Week with collaborations with university partners, 300 transfer pathways
Published on OCT 17, 2024
The Kentucky Community and Technical College System is gearing up for National Transfer Week beginning Oct. 21. According to the most recent annual data, 13,661 students, including dual credit students, transferred from a community college to a four-year university.
Of the 3,777 associate degree earners who transferred to a university in 2019-20 to earn a four-year degree, 57% had completed a bachelor’s degree within four years.
Transfer students often choose the community college path because it reduces the annual net price to less than half of the net price of universities, while keeping students on track to earn a bachelor’s degree.
Most students graduate debt free from the community colleges with 74.4% of students graduating without loans. In the most recent financial aid year, 81.4% of enrolled students received financial aid with 67% paying $0 out-of-pocket tuition, thanks to $334 million in financial aid awards during 2022-23.
University collaborations drive success
Tyra Frick, the system’s director of curriculum alignment and credit mobility, said the partnerships between the system and four-year universities are helping more students achieve their dream of a bachelor’s degree.
As a first-generation transfer student, Frick often draws upon personal experience as she champions better guidance, information, resources and collaborations to help build the seamless bridges to universities where students can maximize their credits.
“Students can now choose from 300 transfer pathways that have been developed between our system and the state’s public universities, and there are pathways in place with our private colleges and universities, as well as out-of-state institutions,” she said.
Even before students are admitted to a community college, they can work with their high school guidance counselor or a community college transfer advisor to compare course-by-course program guides to transfer from a community college to a four-year institution of their choice and in programs of their field of interest.
The KCTCS general education core is incorporated into the transfer pathways, and every Kentucky public university accepts the credits to meet their requirements. This legislation was a game changer back in 2011 to reduce barriers for students by creating a transfer system that maximized existing transfer credits.
“It’s in everyone’s best interest to work intentionally — together with the four-year universities — to ensure we maximize transfer credit for students. We can’t do this work alone, and that’s why we greatly value the commitment from our university partners,” said Frick.
Just this year, the system signed transfer agreements with the University of Kentucky, Alice Lloyd College, Midway University, Asbury University, Ohio University and the University of the Cumberlands.
Frick said partnerships often establish other benefits for students such as waived application fees and scholarships. The new “last dollar” scholarship for KCTCS students who transfer to Kentucky State University grew out of a transfer agreement announced last year.
At the end of the day, Frick says what gets missed in the transfer conversation is how daunting the transfer process is -- particularly for first-generation college students --regardless of how clear the transfer pathway is. First-generation students account for 54% of the system’s students.
“It really takes personalized supports through transfer advising to make the experience as smooth as possible for first-gen students. We work to make the dream of a bachelor’s degree achievable for them,” Frick said.
“I know what students are capable of, and they can do this. I did it, and so can they,” she added.
To get started on transfer planning, visit the KCTCS website.
