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-Better jobs and increased income while in college

-Lower unemployment rate than those with only a high school diploma or some college
-Greater likelihood to graduate with a bachelor’s degree

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Allow students to be awarded an associate’s degree for course credit earned.

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The Newnan Times-Herald

U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson (R-Ga.), who represents Coweta County, is pushing a bill that would ease the transfer of information between two-year colleges and four-years institutions.

Ferguson - along with Rep. Luke Messer (R-Ind.), Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) and Rep. Tom Garrett (R-Va.) - has introduced the Reverse Transfer Efficiency Act of 2017. The bill would streamline data sharing between two-year and four-year institutions to enable community colleges to notify transfer students as soon as they have earned enough credits to receive an associate's degree.

This process is called reverse transfer and is helpful for the almost 25 percent of students who transfer from two-year to four-year institutions annually. Roughly 30 percent of those transfer students drop out before completing their bachelor's degree without anything to show for it.

The Reverse Transfer Efficiency Act would allow students to be awarded an associate's degree for course credit earned, even if they do not go on to complete a bachelor's degree.

"By lifting this regulatory roadblock, we give all students the opportunity to make the most of their education and begin meaningful careers," said Ferguson, who is from West Point. "Students should know their options and be able to receive the diploma they earned. This legislation will help folks achieve that milestone and give them a leg up as they enter the workforce."

"Too often, transfer students are walking away from college without a degree," Messer said. "Our bill will make it easier for transfer students to combine credits and get a degree they've earned, even when life gets in the way. An associate's degree can be a game changer."

In Georgia, an estimated 10,000 students are currently enrolled in the higher education system who may be eligible for the reverse transfer process. Granting students associate's degrees also increases their earning potential. Students with associate's degrees make $400,000 more over their lifetime than those who do not.

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​ Ferguson in coalition to promote transfer of college information

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U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson (R-Ga.), who represents Coweta County, is pushing a bill that would ease the transfer of information between two-year colleges and four-years institutions. Ferguson - along with Rep. Luke Messer (R-Ind.), Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) and Rep. Tom Garrett (R-Va.) - has introduced the Reverse Transfer Efficiency Act of 2017.

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Do reverse transfer agreements encourage students to leave early?

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Do reverse transfer agreements encourage students to leave early?

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Wise and worldly readers, I'm hoping you can help me settle a philosophical disagreement.

It's about reverse transfer agreements and unintended consequences.

In this context, "reverse transfer agreements" refer to a community college and a four-year college agreeing to allow students to transfer "up" with a course or two still to go in the associate's degree, with the understanding that the student can finish the last course or two at the four year school and transfer the credit back to wrap up the associate's.

(Tressie McMillan Cottom owns the franchise on articulation agreements at this point. In Lower Ed she refers to them as "pinky swears" between institutions. That's closer to the truth than many of us would like to admit.)

The incentive for the student is the safety net of an associate's degree. If life happens in the junior or senior year and the student has to drop out, better to leave as an associate degree graduate than as a college dropout. If she plays her cards right, sometimes the reverse transfer agreement can also grease the wheels for the transfer of the entire degree; it's not unusual for four-year schools to cherry-pick transfer credits in the absence of a degree, but to award a block of credits for a completed degree.

The incentive for the four-year school, beyond doing right by the student, is easier recruitment. If a student just has one or two classes left, they can still close the deal and not tell the student to try again a semester later. As we all know, when they get turned away, some students never return.

The incentive for the community college, beyond doing right by the student, is getting some credit for a successful completion. Get a bunch of community college administrators in a room and ask us about IPEDS rates, and you may have to duck. A student who does 54 credits with us, transfers "up," and finishes the four-year degree on time counts in our stats as a dropout. That's ridiculous, but it's the system we have. To the extent that reverse transfer agreements can help us get recognition for what we're actually achieving, they level the playing field a bit.

All of that is fine, as far as it goes. Here's the philosophical disagreement.

Do reverse transfer agreements encourage students to leave early?

My position is that they almost certainly don't. Students move "up" when they're emotionally ready to. If they feel like it's time, for whatever reason, they'll go. Better to provide a safety net, and to get some overdue institutional credit, than not to. There may be some student somewhere who has made a calculation she otherwise wouldn't have, but I'm guessing the number is vanishingly low.

The alternative position, held by someone I respect, is that we're tacitly encouraging them to leave before they finish. Students are savvy about reading signs; if they get what they perceive as a green light, they'll go. Yes, many will leave too early anyway; that's no reason to encourage them.

Wise and worldly readers, I look to you. From a community college perspective, are reverse transfer agreements a good idea?

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Reverse Transfers and Unintended Consequences | Confessions of a Community College Dean

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Wise and worldly readers, I'm hoping you can help me settle a philosophical disagreement. It's about reverse transfer agreements and unintended consequences.

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Reverse Transfer Efficiency Act of 2017

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Some students who complete the coursework required for an associate degree but who leave school before earning a bachelor's degree could earn the two-year diploma, under a bill co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, a Colorado Democrat.

The bill - the Reverse Transfer Efficiency Act of 2017 - is aimed at the large number of students who transfer from community college to four-year institutions but drop out before earning a bachelor's degree. It would allow those students, through a "reverse transfer" process, to apply applicable credits toward an associate degree.

The measure would streamline credit sharing between campuses and also alert students when they've met the requirements for an associate degree. Two Republicans, Representatives Luke Messer of Indiana and Drew Ferguson of Georgia, are co-sponsoring the bill.

The proposal has received backing from several education leaders, who say it will benefit students who leave a community college for a four-year school but drop out without a degree of any kind, Polis said.

"All levels of skills are needed in our modern, global economy," Polis said Friday. "Like all college degrees, a short-term certificate or an associate degree can be the ticket to a better-paying job."

"It's only fair that students are awarded an associate degree if they already completed the coursework for it," Polis added.

More than 30 percent of students who transfer from a community college to a four-year institution in the U.S. drop out before completing a bachelor's degree, Polis said, and often they've met the course requirements for an associate degree.

Between 2003 and 2013, nearly two million transfer students nationwide who were eligible for an associate degree were not awarded diplomas. On average, someone with an associate degree will earn about $400,000 more in their lifetime than someone with only a high school diploma, Polis said.

The proposed legislation would amend the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which currently regulates the sharing of student credit information between higher education institutions, to make the process more open and efficient, Polis said.

"This legislation provides colleges and universities with an important tool to support and significantly increase education attainment for millions of Americans," said Kim Hunter Reed, executive director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education. "By making it easier for students to reverse transfer, we are offering more pathways and creating additional opportunity."

"The research is clear that a degree boosts earning power and employment opportunities," added Andrew Dorsey, president of Front Range Community College. "Colorado is a leader in the nation in implementing a reverse transfer program to help community college students get their degrees."

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Community college students who transfer to four-year schools but drop out before getting degree get help from Polis bill

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Some students who complete the coursework required for an associate degree but who leave school before earning a bachelor's degree could earn the two-year diploma, under a bill co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, a Colorado Democrat.

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Students from low-income families if they are unable to finish their four-year degree, "reverse transfer" is always an option to receive an Associates degree.

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Jason N. Adsit, dean of the School of Arts, Sciences & Education and director of the educational leadership doctoral program at D'Youville College, in New York, has been appointed president of Mount Saint Mary College, also in New York.

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Jason N. Adsit, dean of the School of Arts, Sciences & Education and director of the educational leadership doctoral program at D'Youville College, in New York, has been appointed president of Mount Saint Mary College, also in New York.

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Students will have higher opportunities if they leave college at least with an Associate degree.

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Messer introduces bill to help more transfer students earn degrees

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U.S. Rep. Luke Messer has introduced federal legislation to help make it easier for students who transferred from community college to a four-year institution to earn degrees-a policy some Indiana officials are separately trying to advance statewide.

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Universities should receive credit if a student chooses to reverse transfer.

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Why are Universities Turning to a Reverse Transfer System? | CommunityCollegeReview.com

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The reverse transfer is growing exponentially in popularity. This is a more and more common new policy among many institutions to allow transfer of credits from four-year universities to community colleges. Why is it done, and who benefits from the policy?

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DeVos Calls for Higher Ed Reset at Factious Hearing

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DeVos Calls for Higher Ed Reset at Factious Hearing

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by Jamaal Abdul-Alim

WASHINGTON - In a contentious Senate confirmation hearing in which Democrats cast her as unqualified but Republicans and supporters portrayed her as a much-needed change agent, secretary of education nominee Betsy DeVos on Tuesday assailed the predominant higher education model as outdated and pushed for "new pathways of learning."

"For too long a college degree has been pushed as the only avenue for a better life," DeVos said. "The old and expensive brick-mortar-and-ivy model is not the only one that will lead to a prosperous future."

DeVos touted technical education and said craftsmanship is a "noble pursuit."

"Students should make informed choices about what type of education they want to pursue post high school and have access to high quality actions," DeVos said. "President-elect Trump and I agree we need to support all post-secondary avenues including trade and vocational schools, and community colleges."

DeVos' remarks came amid an acrimonious three-and-a-half hour hearing in which Democrats lamented the lack of adequate time to question DeVos - a billionaire and wife of Richard Devos, an heir to the Amway fortune - about her extensive business dealings, her philosophy and her philanthropy. Democrats also questioned why the proceeding went forth without a letter from the Office of Government Ethics that addresses any potential conflicts of interest but Republicans said a vote slated for next week will not go forth unless the letter is submitted this week.

Some observers said the hearing revealed little about where DeVos stands on higher education.

Dr. Michelle Asha Cooper, president of the Institute for Higher Education Policy, a Washington, D.C.-based policy and research organization, said the hearing represented a "missed opportunity to discuss important issues related to higher education."

"Committee members spent more time discussing process and demonstrating partisanship than delving into the important issues facing America's students," Cooper said of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions, better known as the Senate HELP committee.

"Due to the rushed nature of the questioning, DeVos' responses on a variety of higher education topics were surface at best," Cooper said. "Other important higher education issues, such as Pell grants, college affordability, and college outcomes were raised, but there was no opportunity for details or discussion."

Neal McCluskey, director of the Center for Educational Freedom at the Cato Institute, an organization that identifies as libertarian, agreed.

"All we know is Betsy DeVos agrees that college costs are too high, but we know nothing about how the administration will deal with it," McCluskey said.

"We also don't know how she might handle sexual assault guidance, or gainful employment," McCluskey said, citing several issues that senators broached during the confirmation hearing. "Alas, the hearing spent a lot of time revealing very little."

One thing that became clear during Tuesday's hearing is that Democrats could not pin her down to support any existing programs or policies ushered in under the Obama administration, or, for that matter, to enforce existing law or support longstanding programs.

For instance, when Sen. Elizabeth Warren, (D.-Mass.), asked DeVos if she would work to "ensure no career college receives federal funds unless they can prove they are actually preparing their students for gainful employment and not cheating them," DeVos responded only that she would commit to "ensuring that institutions which receive federal funds are serving their students well."

"So will you enforce the gainful employment rule to make sure career colleges are not cheating students?" Warren asked of the gainful employment regulations that the Obama administration created to crack down on for-profit colleges that leave students saddled with debt and no degree or a degree of little value.

"We will certainly review that rule and see that is actually achieving what the intentions are," DeVos responded.

That prompted an annoyed response from Warren.

"I don't understand about 'reviewing' it," Warren said. "There are already rules in place to stop waste, fraud and abuse and I don't understand how you cannot be sure about enforcing them.

"Swindlers and crooks are out there doing backflips when they hear an answer like this," Warren continued. "If confirmed, you will be the cop on the beat, and if you can't commit to use the tools already available to you in the Department of Education, then I don't see how you can be Secretary of Education."

Barmak Nassirian, director of federal relations and policy analysis at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, raised concerns about how DeVos embraced accountability in general terms but declined to uphold gainful employment regulations.

"It was very disappointing to hear her express support for accountability in the abstract, and then walk it back by refusing to support GE," Nassirian said.

When asked by former presidential candidate - Sen. Bernie Sanders, (D-Vt.) - if she would work with him and others to make public colleges and universities free, DeVos said free college was "an interesting idea" that she looked forward to discussing but added the caveat: "There's nothing that is truly free. Someone is going to pay for it."

DeVos also hinted that federal TRIO programs will get a fresh look.

"I do think we can do a better job of preparing students, informing them before they enter college," DeVos said.

DeVos said while she is aware that TRIO helps mentor students who might not otherwise go to college, she questioned whether there was "another more effective way to advance that or to replicate that or use that in a new way to help increase the participation of students that may not otherwise pursue higher education."

Kimberly Jones, vice president for public policy and communications at the Council for Opportunity in Education - an organization that advocates for federal TRIO programs - defended the programs as "one of the best ways to leverage federal Pell Grants because they produce a steady stream of work-ready graduates."

DeVos also drew ire from Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who tried to pin her down on whether schools that get federal funds should meet the requirements of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA.

"I think they already are," DeVos said.

"I'm asking you a 'should' question," Kaine said.

"I think that is a matter that is best left to the states," DeVos responded, prompting Kaine to ask whether parents of children with disabilities should just move around if they live in a state that is not good at enforcing IDEA.

DeVos would only say upholding IDEA was "worth discussion' and that she would "review" it.

Republicans and supporters embraced DeVos as the likely education secretary, despite Democratic detractors who decried her lack of experience in public education.

Former U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman, who served as a board member for DeVos' American Federation for Children, spoke on DeVos' behalf and said the fact that DeVos does not hail from the education establishment is an asset, not a liability.

"Today I believe that's one of the most important qualifications that you could have for this job," Lieberman said. "We need a change agent, and an education reformer to be education secretary, a leader who has one big goal, which is to get every child in America, regardless of family income or zip code, a first class education, and that is the kind of education secretary Betsy DeVos can and will be."

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) - a former secretary of education under Geoge H.W. Bush and chair of the Senate HELP committee - said despite criticism of DeVos for using her wealth to influence policy to support vouchers and charter schools, that she is but one of a long list of charter school and voucher supporters that include former presidents - from George W. Bush to Barack Obama - as well as former secretaries of education, senators and a good deal of states.

He likened vouchers to the GI bill, Pell grants and student aid, which all follow students to the college of their choice.

"Why is such a great idea for college students such a bad idea for K-12 students?" Alexander asked.

Semantic Tags: Betsy DeVos * Council for Opportunity in Education * Department of Education * Diversity * Education * Secretary of Education * Students * Tim Kaine * TRIO * Tuition and Fees * U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders * U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren * U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander

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DeVos Calls for Higher Ed Reset at Factious Hearing

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by Jamaal Abdul-Alim WASHINGTON - In a contentious Senate confirmation hearing in which Democrats cast her as unqualified but Republicans and supporters portrayed her as a much-needed change agent, secretary of education nominee Betsy DeVos on Tuesday assailed the predominant higher education model as outdated and pushed for "new pathways of learning."