Driving College Completion and Enhancing Equity via Transfer

October 2014–September 2016

The Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program, CCRC, and the National Student Clearinghouse joined forces in this research project designed to motivate and inform efforts by higher education leaders and policymakers to improve two- to four-year transfer outcomes.

The goal of this project was to encourage and enable colleges and universities to replicate highly effective, scaled transfer practices that substantially increase associate and bachelor’s degree completion across fields, but with a special focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). To accomplish this, the project produced a guide for leaders of two- and four-year institutions based on the practices of transfer partnerships that are identified using National Student Clearinghouse data as being highly effective in enabling students to transfer and complete college degrees in a timely fashion.

In subsequent phases, the project team will also create a set of metrics and data tools that will allow colleges and universities nationally to benchmark their transfer outcomes.

This project was funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.