Universities Ramp Up Community College Transfer Programs
Credit: FatCamera / E+ / Getty Images- Ohio State recently announced a tuition-free transfer partnership with Columbus State Community College.
- Arizona State University recently announced a pilot program featuring discounted online tuition for some California community college students.
- University systems in California and Illinois also feature in-state transfer pathways for community college students.
Community college has long been a gateway to higher education, but few students who start at a two-year school actually end up with a bachelor’s degree.
A recent National Student Clearinghouse Research Center report found that only 31.6% of students who started community college for the first time in fall 2017 transferred to a four-year school within six years. And of those who did, less than half earned a bachelor’s degree.
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An earlier Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond report found that these figures were even lower for Pell Grant recipients.
A new partnership between The Ohio State University and a major local community college is the latest example of how higher education is looking to improve these numbers.
Ohioans who get an associate degree from Columbus State Community College and meet the income requirement will qualify for a new, tuition-free program at Ohio State.
The Buckeye Bridge program will launch in spring 2026 and apply to students who have a family adjusted gross income of $100,000 or less verified through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
“Buckeye Bridge will have a transformational impact,” Columbus State President David Harrison said in a press release announcing the program.
“This is a guaranteed opportunity for a debt-free bachelor’s degree, designed to make it easy and predictable for students and families.”
State University Systems Focus on Community College Transfers
Ohio State’s tuition-free program is only the latest example of universities partnering with community colleges to bolster transfer options.
Arizona State University (ASU) recently announced a pilot program featuring discounted online tuition for students from more than a dozen California community colleges.
“This innovative partnership between ASU and California Community Colleges opens new doors for our students, especially those who are anchored in California or seeking affordable, high-quality pathways to a bachelor’s degree,” South Orange Community College District Chancellor Julianna M. Barnes said in a release announcing that partnership.
ASU also offers personalized and guaranteed transfer roadmaps through its MyPath2ASU program.
The University of California (UC) system itself guarantees admission to qualifying California community college students — and that system has seen students kick off their education at a community college in hopes of ending up at their dream UC campus.
California isn’t the only state to feature major admissions pipelines for students at two-year schools. Illinois community college students with at least a 3.0 GPA are guaranteed admission to public four-year universities in the state under a recently enacted law.
Transferring out of community college isn’t always a requirement to earn a bachelor’s degree. Numerous states offer affordable bachelor’s degrees housed within community colleges.