THECB approves community college transfer student report; board hears gap in outcomes and barriers
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Summary
The board adopted the required community college transfer student report showing transfer applicants and gaps in outcomes: transfer students have lower completion rates and longer time to degree than first‑time university students. Staff outlined barriers and next steps to improve transfer pathways.
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on Oct. 23 adopted the community college transfer student report required by the legislature and reviewed data staff said show persistent differences between students who start at universities and those who transfer from community colleges.
Why it matters: Coordinating board analysis and the adopted report are the agency’s principal tools for tracking transfer outcomes and guiding rule and policy work intended to reduce excess credit hours, shorten time to degree and improve completion for transfer students.
Key findings presented
Elizabeth Mayer, assistant commissioner for academic and health affairs, told the board that for fiscal year 2024 institutions reported 27,041 transfer applicants; 24,301 (90%) were accepted and 18,885 subsequently enrolled. Mayer said cohort analysis covering juniors from 2020 through 2024 found a completion rate of about 85% for students who began at universities (first‑time‑in‑college, FTIC) and 66% for community college transfer students classified as juniors — a 19 percentage‑point gap.
Mayer also reported differences in time to degree: FTIC students in the cohort averaged about 5.2 years to degree while transfer students averaged about 7.1 years. She said transfer students on average attempted more semester credit hours and enrolled in an additional semester compared with FTIC peers.
Barriers identified and policy response
Mayer summarized barriers universities reported on an annual survey: 19 institutions said students are advised to complete associate degrees that include courses not applicable to the bachelor’s program; 16 cited lack of financial aid support for transfer students; 16 cited inaccurate or inadequate advising at community colleges; and 15 cited inadequate course scheduling or insufficient institutional staff or resources for transfers.
Mayer described state efforts intended to address these issues, including the Texas Direct transfer associate degree and an ongoing field‑of‑study revision process that involves faculty from two‑ and four‑year institutions to clarify which lower‑division courses should transfer directly into majors.
Board discussion and follow up
Members asked whether the board can quantify the dollar savings for students who start at community college versus university, factoring tuition and opportunity cost. Mayer said staff had not completed that financial analysis but could explore options to estimate student and state savings. Members also asked whether the data can show part‑time status carryover; staff said the data could be analyzed to show whether transfer students remained part time after transfer.
Action: The board voted to adopt the report as presented.
Ending: Mayer said updated fields of study, expanded advising resources and further analysis are expected to inform future work to reduce excess credits and to improve transfer outcomes.
