Plymouth State University is among five colleges and universities that have simplified transfer for students who earn associate degrees from the Community College System of New Hampshire and want to pursue their bachelor’s degree at a four-year New Hampshire institution.
Program benefits include:
- Students equipped with an associate degree from a New Hampshire community college and who meet the required grade point average are guaranteed admission at the four-year institution they choose.
- The application fee and personal essay requirement are waived.
- Transferring students are considered for institutional support through grants and scholarships. This aid is usually available only to first-time, first-year students.
Students are encouraged visit the Community College System of New Hampshire student portal to learn more.
“All of us at Plymouth State University are thrilled to participate in the New England Transfer Guarantee program, making it easier for community college graduates to seamlessly continue their education at PSU,” said Joanne Landers, vice president of enrollment management and communications. “Our participation in this initiative underscores the University’s commitment to accessible and affordable higher education. It aligns with similar efforts to ease the transition for students looking to earn a bachelor’s degree, such as PSU’s new RN to BSN program—available to registered nurses with associate degrees anywhere in the country—and it ensures our students have the support they need to achieve their academic and career goals.”
The Transfer Students website has complete information about transferring to Plymouth State.
This is the first year of New Hampshire’s participation in the program, and other participants include Colby-Sawyer College, Franklin Pierce University, Keene State College, and New England College.
“The New Hampshire Transfer Guarantee is a big step forward in simplifying transfer with the goal of helping students stay on track to earn the bachelor’s degree they seek. The program removes barriers that previously slowed students down, discouraged them, or involved extra expense such as losing earned credits in the transfer process, which added both cost and time to degree,” said Debby Scire, president and CEO, New Hampshire College & University Council.
The members of the New Hampshire steering committee, including representatives of the Community College System of New Hampshire played a key role in establishing the New Hampshire Transfer Guarantee, with community college leadership also signing the memoranda of agreement.
“The New Hampshire Transfer Guarantee provides a clear pathway for students who have earned an associate degree and who want to build on that credential to achieve a four-year degree,” said Mark Rubinstein, chancellor of the Community College System of New Hampshire. “What is often a complex process for prospective transfer students can be replaced with clarity about students’ options and a streamlined admissions process.”
While numerous transfer agreements exist for New Hampshire community college students, the New Hampshire Transfer Guarantee outlines specific pathways with the group of participating receiving institutions and adds to the information available to students pursuing transfer.
The New England Transfer Guarantee was initiated in 2021 in the southern New England states, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island with support from the Teagle Foundation, the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, and the Davis Educational Foundation. The Balfour Foundation has come on board to support the efforts to scale to northern New England.
The second year of data from the Guarantee, which was recently published, shows transfer students making significant progress toward their goals with their grade point averages increasing post-transfer and those who have graduated are doing so in efficient timeframes—the average time to degree was four semesters.
“These transfer students also bring their diverse life experiences with them to their new campuses, advancing institutions’ diversity and student success goals. Nearly half of the students participating in the program identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color,” said Michael K. Thomas, president and CEO, New England Board of Higher Education.
The New England Transfer Guarantee began in the southern New England states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island in 2021. The program enables eligible community college graduates to transfer into participating four-year institutions—admission guaranteed. First enrollments in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont are expected this fall.
NEBHE advances equitable postsecondary outcomes through convening, research, and programs for students, institution leaders and policymakers. Its vision is that everyone in New England will have lifelong access to affordable, high-value postsecondary education.
