'Reverse Transfer' Idea Gets Fresh Congressional Push

diploma and graduation cap on a table

The idea of the "reverse transfer" isn't new. It's been bandied about at least since 2014, when the National Student Clearinghouse undertook a project to find a way to award associate degrees to individuals who had transferred to a four-year college from a community college without first earning an associate degree. Even if they didn't follow through on their bachelor degree intentions, these "potential completers," so the argument went, may have earned the equivalent of a two-year degree, which they should be able to receive retroactively. The Clearinghouse would act as a transfer agent to handle the details. During that same year, legislation was introduced to encourage states to establish or expand reverse transfer programs.

The proposed law never went anywhere — but now it has been resurrected. Senate bill 2986, "Correctly Recognizing Educational Achievements to Empower (CREATE) Graduates Act," was re-introduced in early June by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Bob Casey (D-PA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA). After two readings, the bill was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

The CREATE Graduates Act would serve to increase degree attainment by awarding competitive grants to states that:

  • Locate and award degrees to students who have accumulated enough credits to earn an associate degree but have not received one;
  • Provide outreach to students within 12 credits of obtaining an associate degree; and
  • Begin procedures to help future students receive degree audits and other information about graduation requirements.

"If a student has earned the credits required for an associate degree, they should be able to obtain it, period," said Casey in a prepared statement. "Our bill will encourage institutions of higher education to make common sense changes that will give students who have worked hard to earn their associate degree the chance to actually receive it and succeed in today's economy."

Added Kaine, "When students have put in the work toward a degree, community colleges and four-year institutions should work together to make that a reality. The CREATE Graduates Act will make it easier for these students to get their associate degree at a community college so they can enter the job market better prepared to compete in today's economy and earn higher wages."

A related bill was introduced in the House last year under the name, "Reverse Transfer Efficiency Act of 2017." HR3774 had six Republican and two Democratic co-sponsors. That bill was referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, where it has sat since September 2017.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Stylized illustration showing cybersecurity elements like shields, padlocks, and secure cloud icons on a neutral, minimalist digital background

    Microsoft Announces Security Advancements

    Microsoft has announced major security advancements across its product portfolio and practices. The work is part of its Secure Future Initiative (SFI), a multiyear cybersecurity transformation the company calls the largest engineering project in company history.

  • glowing futuristic laptop with a holographic screen displaying digital text

    New Turnitin Product Brings AI-Powered Tools to Students with Instructor Guardrails

    Academic integrity solution provider Turnitin has introduced Turnitin Clarity, a paid add-on for Turnitin Feedback Studio that provides a composition workspace for students with educator-guided AI assistance, AI-generated writing feedback, visibility into integrity insights, and more.

  • illustration of a football stadium with helmet on the left and laptop with ed tech icons on the right

    The 2025 NFL Draft and Ed Tech Selection: A Strategic Parallel

    In the fast-evolving landscape of collegiate football, the NFL, and higher education, one might not immediately draw connections between the 2025 NFL Draft and the selection of proper educational technology for a college campus. However, upon closer examination, both processes share striking similarities: a rigorous assessment of needs, long-term strategic impact, talent or tool evaluation, financial considerations, and adaptability to a dynamic future.

  • futuristic AI interface with glowing data streams and abstract neural network patterns

    OpenAI Launches Its Largest AI Model Yet in Research Preview

    OpenAI has announced the launch of GPT-4.5, its largest AI model to date, code-named Orion. The model, trained with more computing power and data than any previous OpenAI release, is available as a research preview to select users.