Transfer As You Go credentials are designed to be transferable across multiple higher education institutions and academic programs. These credentials can be sequential, allowing learners to progress to the next level of credential, or transferable across different programs at the same level. Transfer credentials can offer cost-sharing benefits when shared across different institutions or programs. The integrated pathways developed by transfer credentials help learners persist and complete their education. Additionally, these credentials provide clear and transparent options for learners to gain the necessary skills for work and academic advancement.
TransferBOOST, a pilot initiative launched in 2021 by the Institute for Higher Education Policy and HCM Strategists, worked across three states and 24 institutions to address transfer challenges. The program focuses on supporting Black, Latina/Latino, Indigenous, and AANHPI students and students from low-income backgrounds who are disproportionately affected by the broken transfer system. It seeks to remove barriers in the transfer system by clearly communicating and supporting community college students through a mapped pathway, streamlining time to degree, and providing clear costs. The program emphasizes the importance of committed leadership and consistency in the review of data to increase transfer success among these students.
The initiative started with an analysis of early indicators of student behaviors, experiences, and outcomes. It also examined institutions’ communication and marketing strategies to determine what is effective for which students. Participating schools also reviewed policies for unintended consequences and barriers, such as setting arbitrary GPA requirements for scholarships or transfer pathways. The report on the pilot initiative details five lessons learned:
Related work/initiatives:
Credential As You Go has acquired three phases of funding to date. Lumina Foundation funded Phase I, resulting in the Incremental Credential Framework for testing. The Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education funds Phase II (Grant R305T210063), which focuses on rapid prototyping of and research on incremental credentials with a national campaign. An anonymous private donor fund at the Program on Skills, Credentials & Workforce Policy at George Washington University funds the development of the prototype Learn and Work Ecosystem Library. Walmart funds Phase III, which focuses on systems change for expansion and sustainability of incremental credentials. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of Lumina Foundation, Institute of Education Sciences, the U.S. Department of Education, Walmart, or George Washington University.
