National Transfer Student Week: 3 Ways Transfer is Made Easy at WGU

At WGU, our mission is to change lives for the better by creating pathways toward career advancement and growth. According to the NSC Research Center, 87% of students who enroll in a community college plan to earn their bachelor’s degree, but only 10.7% achieve this goal. Seamless transfer from community college to an accredited bachelor’s degree program is key in creating successful pathways for community college students seeking additional education. It’s critical that we eliminate barriers often faced by transfer students who are seeking an online degree or credential.

WGU was recently named as a top college for developing dynamic transfer pathways to community college graduates throughout the nation. Through this ongoing mission, we not only meet students of all backgrounds where they are, but help support them every step of the way while they pursue their degree. Here are three ways WGU supports transfer students in their pursuit of higher education:

Cultivating and maintaining meaningful partnerships with community colleges throughout the region provides generous transfer privileges for community college students and graduates. This effort is evident in partnerships throughout Indiana, including a strong partnership with Ivy Tech. WGU is excited to pursue and strengthen community college partnerships across Indiana (and the nation!) to provide students with the flexibility to pursue their degree as it fits into their personal schedules and budget.

Offering grants and scholarships is another way in which WGU removes obstacles for transfer students to achieve educational goals and improve career opportunities. In 2020 alone, WGU awarded over $20 million in scholarships, with 328 scholarships equaling $698,865 awarded in Indiana. Since its 2010 inception, WGU Indiana has awarded 2,898 scholarships to qualifying students, totaling more than $5.7 million.

As a leader in online competency-based education, students who have developed competency through work experience, have already taken courses or received a degree from a community college, or another college or university, are likely already well on their way to a WGU degree. This education model sets students up for success by meeting them where they are instead of forcing resources and time when knowledge and experience are already prevalent. You can almost always transfer credits when you send transcripts to WGU for a college transfer evaluation, saving time and money.

National Transfer Student Week, which takes place Oct. 18-22, offers the perfect opportunity to highlight this exceptional student population and share how WGU makes the transfer process as easy as possible for prospective students. WGU is celebrating National Transfer Week by hosting a series of webinars (registration is open and free) specifically tailored to transfer students to learn how to set yourself up for success while transferring, including the following:

• Monday, Oct. 18: Transfer Pathways: Maximizing Transfer Potential and Credits
• Tuesday, Oct. 19: They Didn’t Tell Me That: Things Transfer Students Need to Know
• Wednesday, Oct. 20: Early Engagement: Impact on Student Success
• Thursday, Oct. 21: All Things Online Learning: Best Practices and Misconceptions
• Friday, Oct. 22: Show Me the Money: Scholarship Strategies to Fund Your Education