29% The percentage of first-time two-year students who transfer to four-year colleges and earn a bachelor’s degree. Source: National Center for Education Statistics
NOVA Pathway students are encour-
aged to visit GMU for select academic,
athletic, and social events and can
join clubs or organizations that aren’t
offered on the community college cam-
pus. “We try to get them on campus
as often as possible to eliminate
some of that transfer shock,” says
Hilker-Balkissoon. “Students can even
study at the GMU library.”
At Portland Community College
(PCC) in Oregon, at-risk students have
access to ROOTS, a federally funded
program that offers personal advising,
tuition waivers, free classes, and career
planning services, as well as co-admission
to Portland State University (PSU).
“We line up the financial aid and ad-
ditional services and let the stu-
dent be part of both schools
at the same time,” says
Christine Chairsell, vice
president of academic
and student affairs
at PCC. “It’s a very
focused way of getting
that student involved
in the four-year life.”
Since the program
launched, completion rates
are up some 30 percent across
the board. The school reported a
record number of transfers— 5,100—
in the 2009 academic year.
One such transfer is former high
school dropout Sherry Bjork.
“ROOTS gave me two free classes:
study skills and job search. In study
skills, I learned how to focus and pay
attention. I also learned that three-hour
classes are not for me,” she says.
ELLEN ULLMAN is an education writer
based in Fairfield, Conn.
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