North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU) received $1.3 million to partner with the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) to streamline the transfer process and reduce credit loss. The grant-funded partnership includes a statewide transfer portal that will leverage technology from Acadeum to make the process easier for students transferring from a North Carolina community college to a four-year private college or university in the state.

The $1.3 million is a “collective grant from the Teagle Foundation, the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, ECMC Foundation, the John M. Belk Endowment, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,” according to a press release. Lumina Foundation also provided funding to “ensure the involvement of NCICU and NCCCS faculty and staff in the development and implementation of this project.”

National transfer outcome data released in a study earlier this year reveals that while nearly 80% of community college students aspire to earn a bachelor’s degree, only 16% of community college students (first time in college) transfer and complete a bachelor’s degree within six years of entering a community college.

According to the report, one third of community college students overall transfer to a four-year institution, and of those who successfully transfer, 48% earn a bachelor’s degree within six years of starting at community college.

Project leaders will collaborate using other statewide transfer efforts, building on “existing state policies and articulation agreements.” NCICU’s press release said the project will also address four transfer frameworks, including associate degree transfer, transfer pathways, transfer guarantee, and reverse transfer.

Partners will leverage the Acadeum Course Share platform that “allows participating colleges to offer available seats in open courses and map course equivalencies to help credit count at the home institution.” Acadeum’s technology is already used across multiple institutions in North Carolina.

Editor’s note: The John M. Belk Endowment supports the work of EducationNC.