Belk Center has new grant funded focusing on the Transfer of College Credits Earned in High School

Congratulations to NCSU Belk Center Associate Director of Research and Evaluation, Holley Nichols, and PI Audrey Jaeger on their recently funded US Department of Education/Institute of Education Sciences grant entitled, “The Transfer of College Credits Earned in High School.”  The four-year $566,946 NCSU grant is in collaboration with UNC-Greensboro.

This exploratory project will examine the relationship between the extent to which college credits earned in high school can be successfully transferred to a postsecondary institution and applied to a degree or major. 

The Belk Center will be responsible for leading the analysis of credit transfer using institutional data at 5 institutions (2 UNC System colleges and 3 NC Community Colleges). The project team will use descriptive and correlational analyses to explore the relationship between three types of transfer credits (earned, transferred, and applied) with four primary factors associated with successful earning, transfer and application of credits. These factors include 1) number and types of credits students earn and are seeking to transfer; 2) type and location of program; 3) credit transfer policies, including a state-wide articulation agreement intended to improve the transfer of community college courses to four-year institutions; and 4) majors and degree types. 

In order to disseminate this work, the Belk Center will host two convenings per year in grant years 2, 3, and 4 to share findings with key stakeholders across North Carolina including, NC community college presidents, UNC System chancellors, K-12 superintendents, NC Community College System leaders, UNC System office leaders, North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities. The Belk Center will hold two convenings each in a different part of the state to engage leaders in the eastern, central, and western regions of the state. During these convenings we will share on-going findings from the project to support the shared goal of improving transfer outcomes within the state. 

About the Belk Center

Creating tools, convening leaders, and catalyzing change: the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research works with educators, researchers, and policymakers to further more equitable community college outcomes in North Carolina and across the nation. We equip community college leaders with actionable insights and create opportunities for collaboration as we tackle the most pressing issues facing students and campuses to build stronger, more resilient communities. The Belk Center is housed in the College of Education at North Carolina State University, a land-grant university that shares our commitment to community colleges and the critical role these institutions play in creating and expanding opportunities for all North Carolinians.