A fundamental question associated with reverse transfer policies relates to the value of the associate鈥檚 degree. In 2015 when the Credit When It’s Due initiative was underway, research on the impact of receiving an associate鈥檚 degree after transfer was limited. In Data Note 3, CWID researchers helped close that gap by exploring the influence of the associate鈥檚 degree prior to transfer on bachelor鈥檚 degree outcomes.
In this Data Note, researchers used the CWID Baseline Dataset to answer the following research questions:
- What is the difference in bachelor鈥檚 degree completion rates between students who transfer with an associate鈥檚 degree and without an associate鈥檚 degree?
- Controlling for pre-transfer factors, does completing an associate鈥檚 degree prior to transfer predict bachelor鈥檚 degree completion?
The results of the study show that after controlling for important demographic and academic characteristics, earning an associate鈥檚 degree prior to transfer matters but so does the type of associate鈥檚 degree. It is important to note that not all associate鈥檚 degrees are designed as transfer degrees. It is likely that the credits from an Associate of Arts (in HI & OH) or an Associate of Science (in OH) were more likely to be accepted for transfer by the receiving university, which explains part of the results. Similarly, it is likely that credits from the Associate of Science (in HI) and the Associate of Applied Science (in OH) were also less likely to be accepted for transfer by the receiving university. In the context of reverse transfer, this study provides evidence that reverse transfer programs and policies may benefit some students. That is, students who transfer without the associate鈥檚 degree may be at risk of not completing a bachelor鈥檚 degree, and providing transfer students the opportunity to earn an associate鈥檚 degree via reverse transfer may affect students鈥� bachelor鈥檚 degree outcomes.
Read the full study below.
Credit When It鈥檚 Due (CWID) is a multi-foundation funded, multi-state initiative designed to facilitate the implementation of reverse transfer policies and processes that benefit college students who have transferred from the community college to the bachelor鈥檚 level and have not secured an associate鈥檚 degree at the time of transfer.听CCRI is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to research this initiative. Learn more about the聽full聽initiative here.听