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TransferBOOST (Bachelor's Opportunity Options that are Straightforward and Transparent) is a multi-year state-level initiative developed to provide students with affordable, quality, well-supported two- to four-year pathways. Affordability matters a great deal for transfer students, but it has typically not been understood or prioritized. The IHEP and HCM teams joined forces with rpk GROUP to offer technical assistance to TransferBOOST institutions and state partners to make strategic finance and college affordability a signature feature of the initiative. The second brief in the series outlines the steps partnerships took and offers guidance on how institutions can use the Transfer Affordability Financial Tool. It also provides clear steps for how states can support institutions in improving transfer affordability. [This report was written with contributions from Katie Hagan. For "BOOSTing Student Success through Equitable and Affordable Transfer Pathways: Lessons Learned for Higher Education Policymakers and Practitioners from the TransferBOOST Initiative," see ED628654. For "BOOSTing Transfer Partnerships to Promote Equitable and Affordable Transfer Pathways," see ED628655.]

TransferBOOST (Bachelor's Opportunity Options that are Straightforward and Transparent) is a multi-year state-level initiative developed to provide students with affordable, quality, well-supported two- to four-year pathways. For every 100 students who enroll in community colleges, 31 students transfer to a four-year institution. Of those, only 15 complete a bachelor's degree within six years. Too many students are derailed from their higher education goals by unexpected, unaffordable, and untenable--yet solvable--challenges along their transfer journey. A key element of TransferBOOST was the student-centered, data-informed, and equity-driven partnership between community colleges and four-year institutions. The first brief in the series showcases key policy and practice takeaways from the initiative. [For "BOOSTing Transfer Pathways through Strategic Finance and Affordability," see ED628751. For "BOOSTing Student Success through Equitable and Affordable Transfer Pathways: Lessons Learned for Higher Education Policymakers and Practitioners from the TransferBOOST Initiative," see ED628654.]

TransferBOOST (Bachelor's Opportunity Options that are Straightforward and Transparent) is a multi-year state-level initiative developed to provide students with affordable, quality, well-supported two- to four-year pathways. On average, 43 percent of credits are lost nationwide through the transfer process. Recognizing that today's students strive to make good use of their time and money, the TransferBOOST initiative worked to ensure that credits transfer and apply seamlessly from a two-year to four-year institution. The third brief in the series shares lessons learned for higher education policymakers and practioners from the TransferBOOST initiative. The 24 institutions that worked to improve equitable transfer student outcomes during the TransferBOOST initiative have helped formulate lessons that other community college and four-year institutions, state partners for higher education, and leaders might use to increase prospective and current student trust in higher education as well as increase enrollment, retention, and completion. [This report was written with contributions from Katie Hagan and Christine Flanagan. For "BOOSTing Transfer Partnerships to Promote Equitable and Affordable Transfer Pathways," see ED628655. For "BOOSTing Transfer Pathways through Strategic Finance and Affordability," see ED628751.]

As community anchors, postsecondary institutions have a responsibility to equitably increase and distribute resources in a way that improves the economic and cultural vitality of the community and its residents. This paper outlines two ways in which institutions can contribute value as engaged community members: as equitable economic engines; and as partners in strengthening communities. In the first role, institutions can contribute to a diverse and equitable workforce in their communities and regions by reducing education debt for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds, equitably increasing attainment rates, hiring and retaining faculty and staff of color and women, and supporting minority- and women-owned businesses (MWOBs) through purchasing their goods and offering contracts for their services. In the second role, institutions can serve as community partners who transform the economic and cultural fabrics of their communities by directing research toward local needs, sharing creative and artistic pursuits with the region, and engaging in meaningful discourse to improve the lives of individuals living nearby. The paper concludes by examining several frameworks through which institutions can measure both their economic and their social impact.

Many of the gender and racial wage gaps found in society are also seen within higher education, with less diversity among college administrators, faculty, and staff than the United States population as a whole. Postsecondary institutions alone cannot correct the systemic inequities that limit socioeconomic mobility and racial justice, but they can address these issues on their own campuses. Institutions must take responsibility for their own policies and practices, some of which perpetuate labor market discrimination. Indeed, as major employers in their communities, institutions can and should be leaders on equitable employment practices to build a fairer labor market for their students to enter. This paper first highlights racial and gender inequities in institutional hiring and compensation trends. It then points to ways in which postsecondary institutions can use data to identify and address their own hiring, payment, and promotion inequities that depress the value that many students of color and women receive from postsecondary education. Following this approach, institutions of higher education can transform themselves and "walk the walk," rather than perpetuate the racial/ethnic, gender, and income injustices seen throughout our society.