Creating a Clearer Transfer Path

When Rio Anderson enrolled at Pasadena City College, he knew he wanted to become an electrical engineer. What he didn’t know was how to get there.

After high school, he planned to join the military. But when those plans changed, the 23-year-old enrolled at a public community college in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles with hopes of eventually transferring to a California State University (CSU) campus to pursue a bachelor’s degree. Like many community college students, he wasn’t sure which courses to take or how to navigate the transfer process.

“I didn’t really know how the college system worked, so I was confused about what it takes to get into a [four-year] university,” Anderson said.

That uncertainty began to fade after Anderson attended a campus workshop introducing students to the CSU’s Transfer Success Pathway (TSP). 

First launched in 2023 and codified in state law last year, the TSP is available at all 22 CSU campuses and guarantees eligible community college students admission to the campus and degree program they select, provided they meet the program’s requirements and transfer within three years.

The dual admissions program allows students to receive coordinated support from both systems. Their community college provides academic counseling, education plans, financial aid guidance and progress monitoring, while their chosen CSU campus offers transfer advising, major preparation guidance, financial aid information and access to select campus resources—all designed to help students stay on track to earn a bachelor’s degree.

Anderson completed his associate degree at Pasadena City College and will begin studying electrical engineering at California State University, Los Angeles, this fall. He is among more than 7,800 California community college students who have signed a TSP agreement.

“The TSP lowered those barriers for me,” Anderson said. “It let me know, ‘You’re on the right path. All you have to do is pass your courses.’”

Establishing transfer certainty: While most community college students express interest in transferring to a four-year university, only about one in five who intend to transfer do so within four years of their initial enrollment, data shows.

April Grommo, assistant vice chancellor for strategic enrollment management at CSU, said the TSP was created in part to help CSU identify and support students who intend to transfer earlier in their college journeys.

Before the program, Grommo said CSU often did not know which students planned to transfer until later in their academic careers, when there were fewer opportunities to provide guidance and support.

“We’re seeing students transferring much more efficiently and more quickly than what we’ve seen in the past,” Grommo said.

Grommo said the TSP builds on California’s existing Associate Degree for Transfer program, which was designed to streamline the transfer process through established degree routes. The newer initiative provides students with earlier connections to the CSU system and guaranteed admission if they continue to meet eligibility requirements.

She said the aim of the program is not only to increase the number of students who transfer, but also to create clearer and more flexible ways for them to balance the demands of college, work and other responsibilities.

“The goal is to get as many students to transfer within the time frame that fits their life,” Grommo said. “We want to support students where they are and make sure that if they are interested in transferring to the CSU, they have the ability to do so.”

Students can apply and sign a Transfer Success Pathway agreement between Aug. 1 and Oct. 31 each year through the CSU Transfer Planner, an online tool where community college students can explore majors across the university system’s 22 campuses and plan their transfer pathway.

Tameka Alexander, associate dean of transfer and honors at Pasadena City College, said the program has been particularly helpful at her institution, where more than 2,000 students have signed up for the TSP since its inception in 2023.

“One of the great things about the Transfer Success Pathway is it’s more than a policy, it’s more than guaranteed admission, but it’s an opportunity to really transform how students experience transfer,” Alexander said. “It’s early assurance that a student has a guaranteed spot. It’s coordinated transfer support, strong university partnerships and the intentional removal of barriers so students stay focused on earning their bachelor’s degree.”

Building confidence: Alexander said the TSP can be particularly impactful for first-generation students, who may be navigating the transfer process without a clear understanding of the steps they need to take.

She said Anderson’s experience illustrates the value of connecting students with support from both their community college and future university.

“He absolutely utilized the benefits of not only connecting with the transfer team there at the community college, but working with the four-year partner,” Alexander said.

Alexander said many students leave the path to a four-year degree not because they lack the ability to succeed, but because they are unsure of how to transfer.

“Students fall off the transfer pathway simply because they don’t know what is needed to transfer, or perhaps they have a plan, but the plan may not be accurate,” Alexander said. “So it’s really, really important that students have a clear path from day one.”

“This is special because they’re able to get a guaranteed spot at the institution of their choice,” Alexander said. “It gives students peace of mind, if you will, that they at least have a spot if they decide to select that university.”

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