Raleigh – For many community college students in North Carolina, the dream of transferring to a four-year university can feel like navigating a maze without a map. However, thanks to nearly 1,400 new Transfer Guides, that journey has become much more straightforward. These guides are designed to help students seamlessly transition from community colleges to one of the state’s 16 public universities, making the process less daunting and more accessible.
Streamlined Resources for Students and Advisors
The Transfer Guides serve as a comprehensive online tool that provides essential information about admissions, course equivalencies, and academic programs. Available on university websites and the College for North Carolina (CFNC) website, these guides allow students to match their earned community college credits with the requirements for specific majors at various universities. The user-friendly search function enables students to easily browse and compare transfer options by major and campus.
Bethany Meighen, Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs at the University of North Carolina System, explained that the creation of these guides was inspired by the need for clearer pathways for community college students. “Baccalaureate Degree Plans were mandated by the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement in 2014, but there was a lot of variation in how universities presented transfer information,” she said. “We wanted to create uniform Transfer Guides that clearly outline critical transfer information students need.”
A Centralized Location for Information
One of the standout features of the Transfer Guides is their centralized location at cfnc.org/transferguides. This means students no longer have to scour individual university websites for information. Instead, they can find all the necessary resources in one place, making it easier to compare majors and universities.
The guides also serve dual purposes as both admissions and advising resources. They provide university-specific transfer admissions information alongside community college course recommendations, giving students a snapshot of what courses they will take upon transferring. “This clarity helps students understand how their community college courses apply toward their associate degree completion and bachelor’s degree requirements,” Meighen noted.
Encouraging Connections Before Transfer
Another significant benefit of the Transfer Guides is that they encourage pre-transfer connections between students and universities. Each guide includes a transfer-specific contact, allowing students and advisors to ask questions and build relationships before making the leap to a four-year institution. This proactive approach aims to facilitate smoother transitions for students.
Feedback from users has been overwhelmingly positive since the guides went live. Many have expressed excitement about being able to locate all guides in one place and appreciate how course recommendations are clearly labeled. “NCCC professionals who use these resources daily have already requested that we expand the project to include other transferable associate degrees,” Meighen shared.
Enhancing Economic Mobility in North Carolina
The impact of these Transfer Guides extends beyond individual students; they are also poised to enhance economic mobility for families across North Carolina. With a significant number of transfer associate degree holders not making the transition to a UNC institution—15,000 earned AA/AS degrees in 2022-2023, but only 5,000 transferred—these guides aim to change that narrative.
By outlining streamlined transfer pathways, the hope is that more students will pursue an associate degree and complete the transfer process to a UNC university, ultimately earning a bachelor’s degree in a timely and cost-effective manner. “This aligns with our strategic plan to reduce student debt upon graduation and decrease the time it takes to earn a degree,” Meighen explained. “Earning a degree at a reduced cost will positively impact economic growth for students and their families.”
Future Improvements on the Horizon
The development of the Transfer Guides is just the beginning. The UNC System plans to continue refining these resources based on user feedback collected this fall. In 2025, they expect to expand the project to include Transfer Guides for Teacher Preparation and Fine Arts pathways. Additionally, they aim to establish a Transfer Guide Archive to preserve access to previous guides after annual updates.
Meighen emphasized that this project has also resulted in valuable data collection that has not historically existed. “We hope to dive into this data to better understand common NCCC course recommendations and review university equivalencies,” she said.
As North Carolina continues to prioritize educational access and economic mobility, these new Transfer Guides represent a significant step forward in supporting community college students on their journey toward higher education. With clearer pathways and better resources at their fingertips, students can focus on what truly matters: achieving their academic and career goals.