Blogs:

System of higher education in our country is decentralized and there is much to be said about this. This system offers a variety of different options within all types of education including public education as opposed to the state-run systems outside the country.

Students have vital access points through a complex mix of educational institutions in our country such as two and four year schools, for-profit and non-profit, private, research and teaching institutions. The horizon however shows at least two storm clouds.

More numbers of students today seek post-secondary education today at for-profit and two-year colleges. Another factor is the reducing number of Americans seeking post-secondary training.

According to Center on Education and Workforce, Georgetown University Research Professor and Director Anthony P. Carnevale, this trend could have a detrimental effect on our workforce.

The ultimate result is that there is a significant imbalance between the number of workforce we are actually creating today and the number of college-trained students we need to fill the jobs. This latest trend has led to a situation where the transfer student is in huge demand.

For universities and colleges in the upper level, transfers are a great option to complete class. For many of the thoughtful universities, these students are filling in the gaps in the classes. As compared to the student body as a whole, these students graduate at an equal or greater rate from four-year institutions. 

Educating freshmen who tend to walk out in the first two years is more expensive than educating and retaining transfer students. This is a winning strategy for admissions increasingly adopted by many higher education institutions today.

When it comes to building a class, many college and university admissions have a traditional approach. While transfer agreement negotiations are undertaken by senior leadership between institutions, these bureaucratic arrangements often make it extremely difficult for students to transfer to four-year institutions. One of the major hurdles to transfer is the agreement.

Ultimately students suffer and there is no focus by universities on what they wish to be and what they actually are. Trustees are usually from the alumni and they constantly strive to replicate themselves.

Our higher education system is in a precarious condition. Not many institutions are self-reliant today and none of them are able to draw any support in terms of endowments. Search for new approaches to getting a higher education degree and fresh paradigms is inevitable considering the mix of consumer preference, demographics, alternative education, technology, philanthropy, funding and strategies.
Interjecting students back into this mix is only possible at such tipping point.

The ability of higher education in our country to create smooth transition to long term learning will largely depend on transfer students in future. Certificate training and credentials will increasingly be provided by technology-based online educational systems. For many employers, these credentials will hold equal value as traditional degrees.

Though no one is yet ready to connect the dots, the indicators are definitely there. A reluctant attitude in comprehending this trend and innovating is leading to a situation where our higher education system is risking our future.