Building clearer, affordable pathways from community college to four-year degrees

Through the Maryland Transfer Intensive, University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) is joining a network of 25 public and state institutions that are working for seven years to strengthen pathways for community college transfer students seeking four-year degrees. 

On April 17, 2026, UMGC convened a workshop bringing together faculty, academic leaders, and student services professionals from three schools it is partnering with directly: Cecil College, Frederick Community College, and Harford Community College. 

The objective of the meeting was to discuss ways to improve the transfer process through better collaboration by aligning curriculum and procedures across institutions. Contributors are engaging in a yearlong process to learn about evidence-based practices and seek to create seamless, transparent, and career-focused methods.

In a video welcoming participants, UMGC President Gregory W. Fowler, PhD, said, “Transferring from a community college represents one of the most affordable, effective routes to a bachelor’s degree. Eighty-eight percent of community college graduates stay right here in Maryland.”  

While Maryland is among the most educated states in the nation, the initiative aims to increase community college transfer rates, which are currently low—55 percent of in-state community college students are in transfer programs, but only 23 percent end up transferring within six years. According to data from the Maryland Higher Education Commission and Maryland Association of Community Colleges, an estimated 4,500 additional community college students per year could benefit from transferring. 

Launched in 2025, the Maryland Transfer Intensive is designed to provide pathways that are affordable, timely, and barrier-free. UMGC’s goals related to this initiative over the next four years include: 

  • Increasing the percentage of transferring community college students from partner institutions by 20 percent.
  • Increasing the number of community college transfer students obtaining an associates degree. 
  • Increasing completion rates of bachelor's degrees within four years from partner institutions from 40 percent to 50 percent.

Overall objectives of the initiative include fostering greater economic mobility, strengthening Maryland’s workforce, and enabling stronger communities. 

Transferring from a community college represents one of the most affordable, effective routes to a bachelor’s degree. Eighty-eight percent of community college graduates stay right here in Maryland.

Gregory W. Fowler, PhD UMGC President