The Correlates of Credit Loss: How Demographics, Pre-Transfer Academics, and Institutions Relate to the Loss of Credits for Vertical Transfer Students

Abstract

Despite the long-standing centrality and growing prevalence of transfer in the American postsecondary system, students, college professionals, and policymakers decry the lack of credit transferability between colleges. However, limited research has examined the factors most related to the magnitude of credit loss students experience. This study investigated how students’ pre-transfer academic characteristics, demographic characteristics, and the institutions they transferred to and from influenced the magnitude of credit loss they experienced. Data is drawn from statewide cohorts of vertical transfer students in two states: Hawaii and North Carolina. Although a number of demographic and pre-transfer academic factors were found to relate to credit loss, the predictors of credit loss varied appreciably across states. Given the significant variability in how states and postsecondary systems manage transfer and articulation, the findings point to the need for additional state-level research exploring the determinants of credit loss for transfer students.

Examining the Educational and Employment Outcomes of Reverse Credit Transfer

“…However, Turk (2018) found that earning an associate's degree prior to transfer has no impact on the likelihood of completing a bachelor's degree for students who started at a community college and transferred to a 4-year institution. Earning the associate's degree may not promote bachelor's degree attainment if the credits earned at the community college do not transfer, and research has shown that credit loss is both common and negatively associated with baccalaureate attainment (Giani, 2019;Monaghan & Attewell, 2015;Simone, 2014; U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2017). Associate's degree type may also influence bachelor's degree completion, as Kopko and Crosta (2016) found that transfer-oriented associate degrees have a significant positive impact on completing a bachelor's degree within 6 years while workforce-oriented degrees do not have an impact on baccalaureate completion.…”

Exploring Influences of Policy Collisions on Transfer Student Access: Perspectives From Street-Level Bureaucrats

“…Community college transfer pathways are increasingly formalized through articulation agreements at the state, system, and institutional levels (Hodara et al, 2017). However, the efficacy of these policies in increasing transfer is inconclusive and varies across states and institutions (Anderson et al, 2006;Eaton, 1994;Giani, 2019;Kopko & Crosta, 2016;Roksa, 2006Roksa, , 2009. The effectiveness of articulation agreements in STEM contexts is particularly constrained by rigidity in how credits transfer between institutions, highly sequenced coursework, disagreement among faculty members about the content of foundational STEM courses, and perceptual concerns over "rigor" of prerequisite coursework, particularly in math courses.…”

Opportunity for all? The differential impacts of North Carolina’s revised comprehensive articulation agreement by race/ethnicity

“…We also found that the CAA revisions appeared to have a negative effect on excesscredit-earning behavior among White students, a positive result; however, the policy revisions were also related to an increase in excess credit earning among Black students 3,4 . Fink et al (2018) found nationally that Black students experienced more excess credit accumulation, while Giani (2019) found that students of Color were more likely to experience credit loss. Giani further posits that underserved students may need additional support as they navigate the transfer process, and their higher likelihood of credit loss is a symptom of unmet need.…”

“…Fink and colleagues (2018) discovered that Black students often attempt greater numbers of excess credits in their educational journeys than do their White counterparts. Furthermore, Giani (2019) found that while all transfer students in North Carolina lose an average of 7.2% of their earned community college credits when they matriculate to a state university, "students of Color were significantly more likely to experience credit loss compared to White students" (p. 24). Each of these studies reveal the disparate outcomes that are likely to be experienced by students of Color.…”

“…Specifically, prior research suggests that students of Color may experience barriers as they navigate the transfer process. Students of Color are less likely to transfer than are White students (Hoachlander et al, 2003;Shapiro et al, 2018), they tend to lose more credits during the transfer process (Giani, 2019), and therefore they accumulate greater numbers of excess credits prior to graduation (Fink et al, 2018). These findings suggest that students of Color face disparate transfer experiences.…”