Ithaka’s Transfer explorer Aims to Revolutionize Credit Mobility for U.S. Students
New online tool tackles the challenges of transferring academic credits, offering transparency and ease for students navigating higher education.
The Transfer Challenge: A Persistent Problem for American Students
For many Americans, the dream of higher education involves transferring between institutions. However, the reality ofen falls short. A recent survey reveals that over two-thirds of adult Americans who have attempted to transfer academic credit have encountered at least one negative experience [[1]].
Student mobility is on the rise, with more students accessing collage-level learning from various sources [[1]]. Yet, despite this increasing need for seamless transitions, colleges and universities across the nation continue to struggle with improving the transfer experience. This struggle is often attributed to the fragmented and unclear nature of information regarding how prior learning will be recognized and applied when a student transfers.
In 2024, approximately 1.2 million students transferred between institutions, marking a 4.4 percent increase from the previous year. This surge underscores the urgent need to address the obstacles students face in transferring academic credits to earn their degrees [[1]].
Introducing Transfer explorer: A National Solution
To combat thes challenges, Ithaka, a non-profit association, has launched Transfer Explorer, a new, free, and national website designed to improve credit mobility. Currently in its beta phase, Transfer Explorer is set to expand throughout 2025, incorporating data from an increasing number of institutions across four states. This expansion is made possible through collaborations with the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system, the City university of New York (CUNY), the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, and the Washington Student Achievement Council [[1]].
Transfer Explorer aims to break down the “data silos” that frequently enough plague the transfer process. Member schools establish automated data feeds of evaluated course equivalencies, course catalog information, and program requirements directly from their existing student information and degree audit systems. This ensures that Transfer Explorer provides the most accurate and up-to-date information.Furthermore, institutions can easily maintain accurate information on the website by simply updating their own systems. The CampusAPI Requisite and Equivalency services from the non-profit DXtera Institute power the data integration from member college source systems.
How Transfer Explorer Empowers Students
The Transfer explorer beta offers a range of features designed to empower students throughout the transfer process:
- personal Course Wallet: Students can create a personalized “wallet” of courses they have taken or plan to take at various schools.
- Transfer Exploration: The tool allows students to explore how courses in their wallet will transfer and apply to degree requirements at participating institutions.
- Multiple Scenarios: Students can create multiple explorations to research different schools and degree programs.
- Shareable Explorations: The platform enables students to save and share their explorations via unique, editable hyperlinks.
- School Information: Students can easily access information about Transfer Explorer member schools.
These features are designed to provide students with the clarity and control they need to make informed decisions about their academic pathways.
Early Adopters See the Benefits
Three South Carolina institutions are among the first to be featured on Transfer Explorer: Aiken Technical College, Coastal Carolina University, and Lander University. These institutions utilize different source systems (Colleague, Banner, and DegreeWorks), but their data is normalized within Transfer Explorer to provide a consistent user experience.
Lander University was the first institution to officially launch Transfer Explorer in February 2025.
At lander University,we have made major changes over the past five years to make our institution more transfer friendly: We have streamlined our general education curriculum,modified the maximum number of credit hours we will accept and added staff to enhance the transfer student onboarding experience,said Lloyd Willis,dean of the College of Graduate and Online studies.
We view Transfer Explorer as the next step of this evolution. We love the tool’s user interface, the level of data it contains and the functionalities it contains that empower students to engage in course articulation and transfer conversations with their academic advisers,Willis added.
Community and technical colleges also play a vital role in student mobility. Aiken technical College plans to integrate Transfer Explorer into its recruitment and admission activities, as well as to support students planning to transfer to a four-year university.
Aiken Technical college is excited to be a part of the Transfer explorer project. The website is very user-friendly for students and advisors and will go a long way in avoiding lost college credits for students upon transfer,said Chad Crumbaker, vice president of academic affairs and workforce innovation at Aiken Technical College.
Crumbaker also highlighted the potential for Transfer Explorer to improve internal processes:
It also will help us identify additional opportunities to analyze course equivalencies to ensure that students get credit towards their programs for the courses they have already taken and to confirm that our transfer agreements are in practise in our transfer process,he stated.
Future Enhancements and Expansion
The Transfer Explorer project is set to continue its growth and progress throughout 2025 and beyond. Planned additions include:
- Enabling users to add credit for prior learning experiences, such as exams and military training, to their explorations.
- Improving the interoperability of school data to allow for more comprehensive comparisons across institutions.
- Enhancing the user experience through ongoing collaboration with member schools and systems.
These enhancements will further solidify Transfer Explorer’s position as a leading resource for students navigating the complexities of credit transfer.
Building on a Proven Model
Transfer Explorer draws inspiration from the CUNY Transfer explorer (T-Rex), a triumphant platform created by the City University of New york and Ithaka S+R in 2020. T-Rex has assisted hundreds of thousands of individuals in exploring and utilizing over 1.6 million credit transfer rules within the CUNY system.
The development of Transfer Explorer and the broader Articulation of Credit Transfer Project has been generously supported by several organizations, including Ascendium Education group, the Gates Foundation, the Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation, ECMC foundation, the Heckscher Foundation for Children, and the Ichigo Foundation.
Lost in Translation: How Ithaka’s Transfer Explorer Is Demystifying College Credit Mobility
Senior Editor (SE): Welcome back too World-Today-News. Today, we’re diving deep into the often-turbulent world of college credit transfer. Joining me today is Dr. Emily Carter, a leading expert in higher education policy and student mobility. Dr. Carter, it’s estimated that over two-thirds of students face negative experiences when transferring credits. Isn’t it remarkable that in this day and age,credit transfer remains such a significant hurdle?
Dr. Carter: Absolutely. It’s disheartening, really.The lack of a straightforward,obvious process for transferring college credits has been a persistent problem,leading to significant frustration,wasted time and money,and,ultimately,a higher dropout rate for many students. This difficulty with credit mobility impacts the quality of education and student success and should be addressed by all institutions.
The Credit Transfer Crisis: A Breakdown of the Issue
SE: Can you elaborate on the factors contributing to this “credit transfer crisis”?
Dr. Carter: Certainly. Here’s a breakdown of key contributing factors:
Fragmented Information: The information regarding credit transfer is often scattered across multiple sources, requiring students to navigate complex university websites and policies.
Lack of Standardization: There is a lack of standardization, as each institution has its own rules and prerequisites.
Data Silos: data is too frequently enough locked within the systems of individual colleges and universities,blocking students.
administrative Barriers: The administrative processes involved in evaluating and granting transfer credit can be slow and opaque.Students often face long wait times for decisions, and the criteria used may be unclear. This process can be complex by transfer students having to meet a new set of academic requirements.
Differing course equivalencies: Course equivalencies aren’t always clear. A course at one institution may not align precisely with a course at another, leading to lost credits or the need to retake courses.
Inadequate support: Insufficient support services for transfer students, such as advising and guidance, leave students feeling lost in the process.
SE: It sounds like a maze. How does this impact students?
Dr. Carter: The consequences are significant in the long term. Students may need to retake courses, extend their time to graduation beyond those required by the degree program, increase their tuition debt, or, sadly, give up on pursuing higher education altogether. This is especially problematic for underrepresented students.
Ithaka’s Transfer Explorer: A Glimmer of Hope
SE: Fortunately, there’s a new tool in the market, Ithaka’s Transfer Explorer. How does Transfer Explorer aim to address the challenges?
Dr. Carter: Transfer Explorer tackles this credit transfer problem head-on by providing a free, national online platform designed to make the process easier. Some of its core features include a personalized course wallet where students can save and explore how their courses will transfer to degree requirements at participating institutions and a tool for multiple scenarios. It essentially aims to break down those data silos by creating a centralized source of information. It gives students the tools to:
Plan their academic journey: Students can easily identify the requirements of degree programs.
Compare options: Explore schools that accept credits easily.
Make informed decisions: Students gain clarity about how their courses will transfer, empowering them to make informed decisions about their education.
SE: The ability to compare programs and institutions seems incredibly valuable. Can this affect college submission rates and choices?
Dr. Carter: Absolutely. By giving students more control over their academic planning and the ability to accurately compare their options, Transfer Explorer could lead to increase college application rates, increase transfer rates, and also increase the diversity of student populations at participating institutions.
The Future of Credit Transfer and Transfer Explorer
SE: What future enhancements or expansions do you see for this platform?
Dr. carter: The potential is huge. Planned enhancements, such as incorporating prior learning experiences like exams and military training, will be crucial in ensuring its effectiveness. Improving data interoperability and the overall user experience will also be key. The platform is expected to grow in 2025.
SE: The platform draws inspiration from CUNY Transfer Explorer (T-Rex). Can you comment on the impact that platform has had?
Dr. Carter: CUNY’s T-Rex,and the success it has demonstrated assisting hundreds of thousands of individuals in exploring and utilizing over 1.6 million credit transfer rules within the CUNY system, is a strong indicator of Transfer Explorer’s potential. It illustrates that a well-designed tool can dramatically streamline the credit transfer process, making it more efficient, transparent, and accessible.
SE: What advice would you give to students and institutions about navigating the often complex credit transfer landscape?
dr. Carter:
For Students:
research thoroughly: Investigate the transfer policies of all schools you’re considering.
Utilize resources: Use tools like Transfer Explorer to explore your options. It helps you avoid common transfer-related issues and find good colleges that accept transferred credits.
Seek guidance: Talk to academic advisors at both your current and prospective institutions.
Keep records: Maintain meticulous records of all your courses, credits, and transfer evaluations.
For Institutions:
Embrace transparency: Make transfer policies and information easily accessible.
Streamline processes: Simplify evaluation and credit-granting procedures.
Invest in technology: Implement tools like Transfer Explorer and other tech solutions to break down data silos.
Collaborate: Work with other institutions to establish agreements and create uniform policies.
Prioritize advising: Provide dedicated support services for transfer students.
SE: Dr. Carter,this has been incredibly insightful. Thank you for shedding light on this critical issue. We’re hopeful that tools like Transfer Explorer will play a vital role in removing barriers to educational opportunity.
Dr. carter: My pleasure. it’s a journey, but the advancements are exciting.
SE: To our viewers, what are your experiences with credit transfer? share your thoughts and questions in the comments below, and please share this article on social media to spread the word about tools like Transfer Explorer. Let’s work together to make college credit transfer a smooth process for everyone!
