New Oregon program aims to ease student transfers from community colleges to private schools

TUALATIN, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Oregon Alliance of Independent Colleges and Universities announced day a comprehensive program to ease and inform student transfers from community colleges to the state’s private nonprofit colleges and universities.

The Oregon Transfer Pathway Initiative provides streamlined opportunities for community college students to assess transfer options and continue their education at participating Alliance member institutions across Oregon. The Alliance comprises 11 colleges and universities that have collaborated to simplify the transfers, including the application of earned credits.

“Oregon educational and policy leaders have been focusing on the pathway effort for more than a half-dozen years,” said Brent Wilder, president of The Alliance. “For thousands of Oregonians, community college is a big step toward a brighter future. And for those who continue their education, private nonprofit colleges and universities offer communities of belonging, individualized opportunities for self-discovery and faculty who are invested in student success.

“Transfer students deserve to know upfront where their credits count, what they’ll pay, who can help them along the way and what it will take to finish,” Wilder added. “Clearer transfer pathways make those answers easier to find before students commit invaluable time and resources to a particular academic path.”

Specifically, new pathways create detailed routes for students who have completed a qualifying community college credential and meet eligibility requirements of a participating institution or institutions. For a Direct Transfer option, each participating institution has set a minimum GPA threshold as a foundational requirement. Students who meet that standard become automatically eligible for admission consideration, subject to institutional policies, program requirements and capacity limits.

Resources illustrating complete transfer options are available through college advising and enrollment offices, where prospective transfer students can explore how existing course credits would carry forward to other institutions and programs. The tools likewise illustrate academic requirements and next steps while informing tailored estimates of total educational costs.

Out-of-pocket costs at private nonprofit colleges and universities are often less than what students and their families first assume. Many times, standard published tuition rates, or sticker prices, don’t capture financial aid that sharply reduces expenses for most students. At member institutions of The Alliance, 91% percent of students received grants, scholarships or other financial aid during the 2024-25 academic year.

The average award was nearly $33,000.

“We’re doing everything we can to reinforce financial aid and financial assistance so that nothing is out of reach,” said The Alliance Board Chair Robert D. Kelly, the University of Portland president. Independent colleges and universities are a great match for transfer students because of their smaller, close-knit and supportive environments, he said.

“Community college transfer students add to the richness of the campus community, and that benefits everybody,” Kelly said. “They contribute diverse perspectives, share about their own journeys and enrich the experience for all students.”

At Clackamas Community College in Oregon City, about a third of students express interest in transferring, said President Tim Cook.

“Many of our students are first-generation college students. Navigating college systems can be a real challenge,” Cook said. “Providing the tools to navigate into the next institution is critical. We’re super proud when our graduates go on to success in other institutions.”

Among Oregon’s four-year colleges and universities, private nonprofit institutions have the shortest average time to bachelor’s degree completion. Making it easier for community college students to transfer strengthens the pipeline of graduates entering the state’s workforce, leaders of The Alliance explained.

“Community colleges are an essential starting point for so many Oregonians, including those starting their educational journey and those beginning new career paths,” Wilder said. “More straightforward avenues to private nonprofit institutions promote outcomes that keep these students in the state, participating in their communities and developing careers that contribute to our economy and shared future.”

Together, member institutions of The Alliance confer 45% of Oregon’s degrees in health professions and 31% of its education degrees. More than half the graduates of member institutions stay in the state.

Member institutions in The Alliance are Bushnell University, Corban University, George Fox University, Lewis & Clark College, Linfield University, Pacific University, Reed College, University of Portland, Warner Pacific University, Western Seminary and Willamette University - Pacific Northwest College of Art. More information is available through the Oregon Transfer Pathway Initiative on The Alliance’s website.

About the Oregon Alliance of Independent Colleges and Universities

The Oregon Alliance of Independent Colleges and Universities advocates for and nimbly serves its member institutions — regionally accredited, nonprofit, private colleges and universities in Oregon — by responding promptly and flexibly to their evolving needs, fostering collaboration and increasing organizational capacity, and championing the transformative power of independent, nonprofit higher education.