New website promises easier transfers to California State University

The California State University system launched a new student transfer program and digital planning website in an effort to modernize and improve the experience of students transferring from the state’s community colleges to a four-year university.

Students from California Community Colleges account for 95% of the CSU’s transfer students and show high rates of success in completing their four-year degrees, according to data from the university. Despite this, a gap still exists among students who intend to transfer to obtain bachelor’s degrees. The Public Policy Institute of California found that of the more than 80% of California Community College students who want to transfer to a four-year university, only 19% end up actually doing so.

“Our goal is to help accelerate students down that transfer pathway so that they can get their bachelor’s degree and graduate,” April Grommo, CSU’s assistant vice chancellor of strategic enrollment management, told EdScoop. “We’re really just trying to support students where they are and meet them in that place and provide them these tools and support to help them achieve their bachelor’s degree at the CSU.”

The free website tool, called the CSU transfer planner, and the complementary dual-enrollment Transfer Success Pathway program can work in tandem so academic advisers at community colleges and universities are looking at the same information to guide students towards their four-year degrees. It also guarantees qualifying community college students future admission to one of CSU’s 23 campuses and seven off-site centers if they commit to transferring within three years.

The dual-enrollment Transfer Success Pathway program was first announced last March and enrolled its first cohort of students — nearly 2,000 high school students, Grommo said, this past fall.

“We didn’t really have any expectations because we’d never done this before. I was clear we weren’t setting any number expectations,” Grommo said. “We were happy with the 2,000 students, but we hope in 2024 we get more students interested in the program.”

Beginning this year, all students intending to transfer to CSU will have access to the digital transfer planner to help them map their paths from community college to CSU campus. The website, which was developed by the enrollment management technology company Liaison, also provides information about CSU campuses and degree programs.

Many California Community Colleges previously conducted student transfers by paper and pencil, Grommo said.

“The goal is that the CSU, the student and the community college counselor are all looking at the same information to be able to advice that student so that everybody can really be helping that student achieve their goals,” she said.