Survey finds widespread challenges with credit transfer

Unfavorable experiences with trying to move credit reports towards an university credential prevail among American grownups, according to a new survey from the research company Public Program, the higher education consulting company Sova and the Beyond Transfer Policy Advisory Board.

Majority of participants who attempted a transfer reported losing at the very least some credit histories while doing so; 34 percent reported “most” of their credit histories were approved, while 19 percent claimed “couple of” were accepted and 5 percent stated none of their debts moved. A fifth of participants who attempted to transfer credit ratings had to repeat courses they ‘d already taken, and 16 percent reported they didn’t seek a postsecondary credential because the transfer process was as well difficult. The most cited reason for transfer difficulties was that universities didn’t approve credits, including credit score for work experience and previous understanding.

Fielded last May, the study of roughly 3,000 individuals located that nearly 40 percent of participants had actually formerly tried to transfer credit ratings towards a postsecondary credential. More than half of those that sought to transfer (56 percent) tried to move credit histories towards a bachelor’s degree and a quarter toward an associate level, while the remainder went after credit score transfer towards certification programs or other sorts of qualifications. Most of the credit reports participants looked for to transfer were from community colleges, bachelor’s level programs, work experience or dual-enrollment classes, though some also attempted to move credit ratings from employment institutions and different kinds of microcredentials.

The study also discovered prevalent support amongst Americans throughout the political range for plans developed to enhance the credit-transfer procedure, consisting of providing pupils simple access to transcripts and public data sources with universities’ transfer info.

“Negative experiences with debt transfer enhance the understanding that big organizations uncommitted concerning regular people, a crucial element of the difficulty facing our democracy,” Andrew Seligsohn, president of Public Agenda, claimed in a press release. “By radiating a light on both individuals and the process, we can much better understand what jobs– as well as what does not– so we can improve the system for everybody.”

“In this survey we likewise see a resource for positive outlook: the frustrating majority of Americans concur that trainees must not get on their very own to figure this out,” Lara Couturier, a partner at Sova, stated in the release. “In a progressively polarized environment, there is solid consensus to move on sensible reforms that help even more students get to completion and supply on the value proposal of college.”