Bill Overview
Title: Transparency for Transfer Students Act
Description: This bill revises the requirements placed on institutions of higher education (IHEs) regarding the disclosure of their policies on transferring academic credits. In particular, the bill specifies that an IHE must (1) include its credit transfer policies on its website and in at least one other relevant publication (e.g., a course catalogue); (2) include a link to the website of each IHE with which it has an articulation agreement; and (3) provide a list of transfer-related resources, including information regarding financial aid and relevant staff contact information.
Sponsors: Rep. Castro, Joaquin [D-TX-20]
Target Audience
Population: Students seeking credit transfers in higher education
Estimated Size: 8000000
- Globally, there are millions of students enrolled in higher education institutions, many of whom consider transferring due to various reasons such as better programs, financial issues, or location preferences.
- The transparency in transfer policies can aid both current students in evaluating their transfer options and prospective students in making informed decisions about enrollment.
- Given the trend in higher education for students to seek better academic and financial options, this legislation could have wide-reaching impacts across numerous countries with similar transfer systems.
Reasoning
- A significant portion of the higher education population in the US engage in credit transfers during their academic careers, yet there's a lack of transparency and consistency across institutions about transfer policies.
- Current students and even prospective students are likely to benefit from having access to detailed information on credit transfer policies, which can facilitate better planning and decision making.
- Students from a lower socioeconomic background or those attending community colleges may particularly benefit, as they often rely on credit transfers to complete their degrees affordably.
- The implementation of this policy could improve overall student wellbeing by reducing the uncertainty and administrative barriers associated with transferring.
- Long-term effects are projected to include more streamlined transfer processes and potentially higher completion rates, as well as student satisfaction.
Simulated Interviews
Community College Student (California)
Age: 21 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy is beneficial as it would give me clear information on how my credits would transfer to state universities, which I plan to apply to.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Private University Student (Texas)
Age: 23 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's hard to figure out what credits I can transfer. Having all this information would save me time and stress, making it easier to plan my academic future.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Returning Student (New York)
Age: 30 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I am worried about how my old credits from a decade ago will transfer. Having access to this information would help me manage my finances and time better.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
International Student (Florida)
Age: 19 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 13/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Being new to the education system here, I find it confusing to navigate credit transfers. The policy would help me in aligning my credits with potential universities.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Liberal Arts Undergraduate (Illinois)
Age: 22 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I am comparing different universities and their acceptance of my current credits is critical. This policy would simplify my decision-making process.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Military Veteran (Ohio)
Age: 28 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Transfer policies are hard to understand coming from a military background, and this policy would really help veterans like me plan our education paths better.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Online Student (Arizona)
Age: 26 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Being an online student, clarity in transfer policies would assist heavily in transitioning to on-campus education at another institution if needed.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Engineering Student (Georgia)
Age: 24 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- As an engineering student, understanding credit transfers is crucial for entering the right program, and this could make the process much smoother.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
High School Senior (Maine)
Age: 17 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Even though I'm not in college yet, knowing how my dual enrollment credits will transfer to a four-year university would ease my college planning.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Graduate Student (Kentucky)
Age: 25 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy might not affect me as immediately, but it definitely will help long-term with clarity and setting expectations if I decide on additional certifications.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $300000000 (Low: $250000000, High: $350000000)
Year 2: $200000000 (Low: $150000000, High: $250000000)
Year 3: $100000000 (Low: $50000000, High: $150000000)
Year 5: $50000000 (Low: $25000000, High: $75000000)
Year 10: $25000000 (Low: $10000000, High: $50000000)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- The short-term costs are primarily associated with updating infrastructure and administrative processing for transfer credit transparency.
- Long-term savings could be realized as institutions streamline transfer processes and attract more transfer students.
- The policy directly addresses transparency issues with potential indirect effects on enrollment, which could affect institutional revenues.