Promoting Cross-Enrollment to Bridge the 2- to 4-Year College Transfer Gap for Underrepresented Students

• In Event: Higher Educaton Pathways: From High School to College and Beyond

Abstract

California's existing cross-enrollment policy was intended to improve transfer between community colleges and 4-year, public universities. However, this thirty-year old policy is under-utilized by students. In this study we conduct a randomized control trial to improve uptake of cross-enrollment opportunities under California's existing policy. We remove informational, procedural, and financial barriers for treatment students selected from three area community colleges to facilitate cross-enrollment at a neighboring four-year university. Despite the removal of these barriers, uptake remains low (0.08%), though no students from the control group enrolled.

Authors

• Michael Hill, University of California - Irvine

• Rachel B. Baker, University of Pennsylvania

• Pablo Bezem, Arizona State University

• Joshua Dorman, University of California - Irvine

• Gala Merari Ledezma, University of California - Irvine