Community College Research Initiatives

March 25, 2016

CWID Data Note 6: Outcomes of Reverse Transfer Degree Audits

While CWID Data Note 5 explored the impact of state eligibility requirements on whether students qualify for reverse transfer, Data Note 6 dives into why many eligible students still do not receive an associate’s.

Reverse transfer programs are designed to provide associate’s degrees to transfer students once they complete the required courses at the 4-year institution, thereby reducing the number of students with “some college, no degree.” Unfortunately, not all transfer students potentially eligible for reverse transfer actually receive the degree. As discussed in Data Note 5, the state eligibility criteria – such as a high number of cumulative credits – can limit the number of students who receive an associate’s. However, evidence from Michigan suggests that receiving a degree is not a given even for students who meet the eligibility requirements. Data Note 6 explored the reasons behind this phenomenon in Minnesota, and found that missing degree requirements and completed BA degrees were common factors. Read the full data note below to learn about other contributing factors and the methodology.

Download Data Note 6


This Data Note is part of CCRI’s High-Performing Partnerships Study (HPTP) funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The study focuses on how higher performing transfer collaborations between two and four-year colleges and universities work on the ground. Researchers identified high-performing partnership pairs from a dataset collected for the national initiative on reverse credit transfer called Credit When It’s Due (CWID). Read the full series of Data Notes and more about the project here