Many Texas community college students who transfer don’t finish their degrees, study says

(The Texas Tribune) –Most Texas community college students who transfer to a four-year university don’t graduate, according to a report on college transfers released Wednesday. The study from the Community College Research Center and Aspen Institute found that only 45% of students who go on to a four-year college get a bachelor’s degree. Black and adult students struggle even more after they transfer out of a community college, with just 33% and 37% completing their bachelor’s degree, respectively. Related Stories Community colleges have long pitched themselves as the most affordable place to start studying for a bachelor’s degree. But Wednesday’s report, the first to break down state transfer outcomes by race, socioeconomic status and age, suggests transfer students need more support to complete their degrees. “No wonder there is this distrust in higher education when transfer students who enter these kinds of institutions can’t realize their goals,” said Tania LaViolet with the Aspen Institute. The report also found low-income and adult learners are less likely to transfer to a four-year university from a community college, compared to their classmates. Texas legislators changed how they finance community colleges last year to incentivize transfers. Community colleges now get more money when their...