Proof Points: When bright students get derailed by red tape

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By Jill Barshay

Researchers in California are trying to get a better handle on why only 30 percent of community college students succeed in transfering to a four-year university although 80 percent of them want to do just that when they start. A large number of community college students who meet the requirements for transfer, or are just a course away from doing so, don’t end up transferring, according to researchers at the RP Group, a nonprofit research organization that studies the state’s community colleges

The RP Group surveyed 800 California community college students and interviewed others in depth to understand why some students managed to transfer and others didn’t. The results were issued in a May 2020 report, “Students Speak Their Truth about Transfer: What They Need to Get Through the Gate,” and a media briefing.

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Key Findings

Almost 300,000 California community college students had met the requirements for an associate degree for transfer or were only a class short but failed to transfer between 2010 and 2015.
Many students were unaware that they can get more financial aid at a four-year university than they are receiving at a community college.
The transfer process itself is complicated and even the brightest students get derailed by administrative red tape.

Teacher Takeaway

Researchers said caring adults who check in with students even when there are no immediate problems or missed deadlines helped students feel supported.