Formulating a Model of a 2/4 Transfer Program

The American Council on Education (2021) estimates that 38% of fall 2019 undergraduate students will change schools within six years. Of that group, only 13% are projected to earn a bachelor's degree (NCES, 2019). Clearly, there is a disjoint between the goals of transfer students and the programs that are in place to help them meet their goals. The purpose of this exploratory study is to examine: (1) the progress of state legislatures in eliminating barriers to student transfer success; (2) the most recent empirical research regarding the recommended components of transfer programs; and (3) the interactions among those components. The research question guiding this examination is: what are the recommendations for a quality transfer program and how do these recommended components interact for student transfer success? The findings of this research result in the framework for and the suggestion for a model of 2/4 transfer programs.