Ivy Tech President Sue Ellspermann Urges Support

U.S. Rep. Luke Messer (R-IN), alongside Reps. Jared Polis (D-CO) andDrew Ferguson (R-GA), introduced bipartisan legislation today to help more community college transfer students earn degrees.

The Reverse Transfer Efficiency Act of 2017 makes it easier for students to earn a degree through a “reverse transfer,” where students who transferred from a community college to a four-year-institution but haven’t completed a bachelor’s degree, can apply those additional credits back toward an associate’s degree.

The bill would streamline credit sharing between community colleges and four-year institutions so transfer students can be notified when they become eligible to receive an associate’s degree through a reverse transfer.

“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, and help more Hoosiers get a better job and earn higher pay.”

“All level of skills are needed in our modern, global economy.  Like all college degrees, a short-term certificate or an associate’s degree can be the ticket to a better paying job,” Polis said. “This legislation makes sure that students are able to get the degree they deserve. It is only fair that students are awarded an associate’s degree if they already completed the coursework for it before transferring to a four-year university.”

More than 30 percent of students who transfer from a community college to a 4-year institution drop out before completing a bachelor’s degree. But often, they’ve earned enough for an associate’s degree if those credits are transferred back. Between 2003 and 2013, nearly two million transfer students nationwide who were eligible for an associate’s degree were not awarded diplomas. Associate degree holders earn about $400,000 more in a lifetime than someone with only a high school diploma.

“By lifting this regulatory roadblock, we can give all students the opportunity to make the most of their education,” Ferguson said. “In my home state of Georgia, an estimated 10,000 students are currently enrolled in our higher education system who may be eligible for the reverse transfer process. Students should know their options and should be able to reach the educational attainment they earned. This legislation will help students achieve that milestone, regardless of their decision to transfer schools.”

Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana President Sue Ellspermann has been a leading advocate of reverse transfers and is urging support of the legislation.

“Streamlining the Reverse Transfer process is in the best interest of students who earned a credential which they deserve,” saidPresident of Ivy Tech and former Lieutenant Governor of Indiana Sue Ellspermann. “Thousands of students transfer to different schools annually in Indiana, both in-state and out-of-state. We owe it to our students to help them improve their lives and award them for the work they have already done.”

Ivy Tech has awarded 270 associate degrees to students over the last two years through reverse transfer, but Ellspermann says many others could be eligible.

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.

In addition to Ivy Tech, the bill has received support from numerous national and state education groups, including the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. A full list of supporters is available here.