Chapter 4: Lateral Transfer Students: What Drives their Decision to Leave and Why Do They Experience Transfer Shock

Higher education enrollment managers are looking at transfer students as integral pieces to achieve institutional strategic plans. While most in enrollment management are familiar with vertical transfer students (those that attend a 2-year or community college and transfer to a 4-year university), lateral transfer students (those that transfer from one 4-year university to another 4-year university) make up a large demographic on university campuses. Universities focus their resources on vertical transfer students by creating efficient advising plans, providing guaranteed admissions programs, and visiting various community college campuses, though this population makes up only 43% of transfer students on a campus (Kirk-Kuwaye & Kirk-Kuwaye, 2007).