Moving Forward: Exploring Reverse Transfer in Higher Education

• In Event: Nuances and Challenges to Traditional Notions of College Success

Abstract

This qualitative study explores enrollment patterns in higher education through the experiences of undergraduate students who initially began their postsecondary education at four-year institutions and subsequently transferred to a community college, a behavior known as reverse transfer. Through in-depth interviews, students described their experiences at their first institution and reasons for transferring to a community college. Findings show students reverse transfer for reasons such as career goal change, complete coursework necessary for transfer back to a four-year institution, and the lower comparative cost. Participants did not label their reverse transfer movement as “backward” but rather described how transferring gave them an opportunity to complete general education, figure out their major, or set them on a new career path.

Author

• Andrea Chambers, Michigan State University