Transfers may ease for some

In an effort to make higher education more accessible, members of the UNC system’s governing body examined last week ways to help community college transfers obtain a university degree.

During last week’s meeting of the Board of Governors, the Educational Planning, Policies and Programs Committee explored the issue of transfer students looking to make the jump from a state community college to one of the 16 UNC-system schools.

About 6,800 students were accepted last year as transfers to UNC-system schools, with only 38 turned down.

The idea behind last week’s discussion is to create a cohesive system that helps guide community college transfers to UNC schools with open space, said Joni Worthington, spokeswoman for the UNC system.

She added that a practice of admitting transfer students who met minimum grade point average and associate degree requirements already exists at many schools.

But for those turned down, committee members are advising both community colleges and universities to find ways to get the information out to students, said committee member Robert Warwick.

He added that it is important for schools to make sure students know to apply to several schools. “We really just want to make sure (community college students) know what all of their options are and that they are aware of the help they can get."

Although some universities are more stringent with admissions than others, the idea is to help all students who want a degree to obtain one through the UNC system, said committee Chairman Willie Gilchrist. “We just want to make sure that everybody gets an equal opportunity.”

Getting that information out is vital but not easy, said Martin Lancaster, president of the N.C. Community College System.

With a budget continually slashed by the state legislature, the resources available become increasingly stretched, he said. Lancaster estimated that the average counselor attends to about 1,000 students each.

“With the poor funding we receive from the state for students services, the information is not as readily available as it should be,” he said.

In addition, about 60 percent of community college students work full time and aren’t always able to research their options.

But simply informing community college students of their options isn’t always enough, Lancaster said.

Although students’ odds of being admitted to a UNC-system school increase by applying to more schools, many of those same students are bound by responsibilities to their families and jobs and cannot simply pick up and move.

Often, he said, students who aren’t admitted to the system school in their area wind up going to a nearby private institution, costing them more money in order to get a degree.

“Applying to more universities is not a realistic solution,” he said. “Our students, more times than not, don’t have that luxury.”

Assistant State & National Editor Kavita Pillai contributed to this article.

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.