New England Independent Colleges, Community Colleges to Launch Transfer Guarantee

Students pursuing a liberal arts curriculum at a community college in Connecticut, aiming to continue their studies at an independent college or university in the region, are receiving some good news to start the year. 

The New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) has received a three-year implementation grant co-funded by the Teagle Foundation and the Davis Educational Foundation to develop systematic transfer pathways between community colleges and four-year independent colleges in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, with a focus on the liberal arts.

NEBHE is partnering with the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges (CCIC), the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts and the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Rhode Island to establish the New England Independent College Transfer Guarantee (Guarantee), which will ensure acceptance at an independent four-year institution for students graduating from a community college with an associate degree, according to NEBHE officials. 

CCIC and the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system, which includes the state’s 12 community colleges, are the Connecticut partners in the initiative. NEHBE and the participating organizations in New England begin implementation design meetings this month, with the start date for enrollment in the Guarantee anticipated within the next year or so.

NEBHE promotes greater education opportunities and services for the residents of New England and its more than 270 colleges and universities. Based in Boston, the organization works across the six New England states to help leaders assess, develop and implement sound education practices and policies of regional significance, including strengthening the relationship between higher education and the economic well-being and quality of life in New England.

Students who meet eligibility criteria under the Guarantee will be able to transfer as juniors, with no credit loss, and be fully prepared to successfully complete a bachelor’s degree. The Guarantee promotes equity, opportunity and access in higher education. 

Goals of the initiative include:

• Build stronger partnerships between community colleges and independent institutions in three states.

• Develop a seamless and, in some cases, a more affordable option, for community college students to attend an independent institution.

• Develop and promote liberal arts transfer opportunities at independent colleges for community college graduates.

• Increase the number of community college transfer students who earn a bachelor’s degree at an independent institution.

• Promote equitable participation in higher education by providing access and opportunity for all eligible students.

“NEBHE is very pleased to work with this distinguished group of state and institutional partners to create expanded transfer pathways for students in New England,” said Michael K. Thomas, president & CEO of NEBHE. “Stronger links between our two-year institutions and our outstanding independent colleges and universities simply makes sense.”

“CCIC is thrilled to be collaborating with NEBHE, our colleagues in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, along with the CSCU on this important effort to promote transfer pathways for Connecticut Community Colleges students,” said Jennifer Widness, President of the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges.

“Many Community College students in Connecticut have found our members to be an accessible and affordable option for transfer to complete their bachelor’s degree in a timely manner,” Widness added. “This new effort seeks to expand those opportunities for more seamless transitions and allow even more transfer students to attend an institution in Connecticut that best meets their educational goals and increases their opportunity to succeed.”

Two dozen Connecticut higher education institutions participating in the Guarantee; half are community colleges, half are independent colleges in the state.  The colleges and universities include: Albertus Magnus College, Asnuntuck Community College, Capital Community College, Connecticut College, Fairfield University, Gateway Community College, Goodwin University, Housatonic Community College, Manchester Community College, Middlesex Community College, Mitchell College, Naugatuck Valley Community College, and Northwestern Connecticut Community College. 

Participants also include Norwalk Community College, Quinebaug Valley Community College, Quinnipiac University, Sacred Heart University, Three Rivers Community College, Trinity College, Tunxis Community College, University of Bridgeport, University of New Haven, University of Saint Joseph, and University of Hartford.

“The Guarantee will expand the range of high-quality, affordable bachelor’s degree programs available—benefiting our students, our institutions and our workforce,” Thomas added. “We are appreciative of the Teagle Foundation and the Davis Educational Foundation for their leadership and support in helping us to undertake this important endeavor.”

NEBHE has expressed appreciation for the continued support of the Teagle Foundation, which provided initial funding through a seven-month planning grant. The organization is now moving forward to collaborate with the Davis Educational Foundation—which was established by Stanton and Elisabeth Davis after Mr. Davis’ retirement as chairman of Shaw’s Supermarkets Inc.—to support the initiative’s foundational work.

Among the key results anticipated through new Guarantee program, officials at NEHBE point out:  it will mitigate credit loss, increase persistence and degree completion, and meet geographic needs of students who lack proximity to a public four-year institution. Additionally, it is expected to support a student-centered approach to transfer by matching diverse student learning styles and providing high-caliber student support and career services, as well as institutional financial incentives.

Of particular note in Connecticut, officials at NEHBE suggest that the initiative will bolster economic development by helping to retain students in their states after graduation.