Prior learning refers to the knowledge, competencies, and skills acquired through formal and informal education outside a traditional academic environment or at the initiative of the individual learner. For example, if a current or potential student participated in an employee training program, military service, or took standardized exams such as…

The recent closure of multiple large, proprietary (or private, for-profit) institutions of higher education (IHEs) has brought into focus the extent to which a postsecondary student's education may be disrupted by a school closure. However, even in instances of a small IHE's closure, student concerns remain the same. Concerns include the…

Four National College Attainment Network (NCAN) member organizations in California participated in interviews to discuss state postsecondary access and attainment policy. Interviewees expressed that they felt a strong connection to NCAN's state policy priorities and that virtually all are a high priority in California, except for equitable free…

Three organizations and six individuals participated in interviews for New York state. The National College Attainment Network (NCAN) members interviewed in New York consistently identified two themes as top priorities: affordability, including a broader definition of the true cost of college and ongoing advocacy for sufficient state financial…

Three organizations (a total of four individuals) participated in interviews regarding postsecondary access and attainment policy in Tennessee. Each of the interviewees identified Tennessee Promise as the centerpiece of postsecondary affordability conversations within the state. Some interviewees articulated an ongoing need to improve…

The Texas state profile consisted of interviews with five participants from four National College Attainment Network (NCAN) member organizations in the state. Common priorities identified by members included postsecondary affordability, need-based aid, and postsecondary funding. There was a strong consensus that the economic factors of the…

In a spring 2021 survey of California Community College students exploring the impact of COVID-19 on their transfer journey, the RP Group identified colleges where students felt highly satisfied with the transfer support and communication they were receiving during the pandemic. To better understand what these community colleges were doing to…

California is projected to fall 1.1 million bachelor's degrees short of economic demand by 2030. Expanding access to higher education could help shrink the gap, but California also needs to boost the likelihood that students who enroll in college will stay on track to earn degrees. The share of adults with bachelor's degrees is slightly larger in…

Education Commission of the States (ECS) conducted interviews with members of the National College Attainment Network (NCAN) in six states to gather insights into current and critical state policy issues. This summative paper outlines the findings of these interviews, which took place between May and July 2021. The interviews also gathered input…

The Florida state profile consisted of interviews with five participants from three National College Attainment Network (NCAN) member organizations in the state. It was evident that leaders in Florida were focused on workforce efforts, specifically career and technical education (CTE) and rapid credentialization, with all three organizations…

Three National College Attainment Network (NCAN) member organizations (a total of seven individuals) participated in interviews regarding postsecondary access and attainment policy in Ohio. Interviewees identified several policy priorities in the state--notably, FAFSA completion and college affordability. These policy issues and emerging trends…

This report is an update to the Washington Student Achievement Council's (WSAC) 2019 Transfer Report (see ED606179). WSAC submits a biennial progress report to the Washington state legislature that examines transfer associate degree effectiveness over time. As recommended by the 2019 report, this update is the first step toward applying an equity…

National Assocation for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) members and staff traveled to Atlanta to present and participate in the 16th annual National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students (NISTS) conference, which serves professionals who directly support transfer students, conduct transfer-related research, and create policy.…

Transfer from California's community colleges to its public universities has long been central to the state's higher education system. Though most of the 2.2 million community college students intend to transfer, fewer than half do so within six years of their initial enrollment. A low transfer rate is bad news for California. The state's economy…

Community college students start college with goals including transferring to earn a bachelor's degree and gaining the skills and credentials that have immediate labor market value. These goals are not mutually exclusive. Students deserve access to clear pathways, whether they enroll in short-term education and training programs or in college…