1 THE CASE FOR CAREFUL ATTENTION TO THE TRANSFER TRANSITION

The focus of this manuscript is on student transfer from 2- to 4-year institutions, known as vertical transfer, which may also be viewed as a form of educational advancement from achievement of undergraduate certificates and the associate degree toward completion of the baccalaureate degree and possibly postgraduate education. The case for attention to this issue is supported by the following findings and arguments. 1. The number of potential two- to four-year college transfer students in American higher education is sizable and growing.! More than 50 % of all first-year college students attend two-year institutions (California Community Colleges, 1994; Parnell, 1986), and student enrollment at 2-year institutions is increasing at a faster rate than it is at 4-year colleges and universities (National Center for Educational Statistics, 1993).! Simply stated, more 2-year college students will have the potential for making the transition to 4-year institutions than at any other time in our nation's history (Giles-Gee, 1994). 2. There is a significant gap between the number of students who enter 2-year colleges with the intention of transferring to 4-year institutions and the number who actually do.! Students who begin higher education at 2-year colleges with the intention of achieving a baccalaureate degree will receive, on average, 15 % fewer B.A. degrees than those who enter higher education at 4-year institutions, even when controlling for students ' SES background, academic ability, high school achievement, and educational aspirations at college entry (Astin