Excerpted from the Willow Glen Times
By Jim Beall Jr.
April, 2009

The market place rewards the educated.

A community college graduate earns $100,000 more during the course of their lifetime compared to a high school graduate. A person with a bachelor's degree earns about $600,000 more than a high school graduate, U.S. Census Bureau statistics show.

But what about the student who attends community college, gains the proper credits to transfer to a public or private university, and then is unable to complete their bachelor’s degree because of personal or financial reasons?

Even though that transfer student may have completed general education classes that were academically tougher than those required for an associate's degree he or she will not have any degree to show for their work.

I don't believe these hard-working students should be penalized just because their academic careers were cut short or interrupted. I believe they ought to have something to show for their effort, something they can put down on their resumes: a degree.

I have introduced legislation, Assembly Bill 440, which adds a section to the education code that authorizes community college districts to award an Associate’s Degree in Transfer Studies.

This bill sets forth requirements for the degree for students who are either on a track to attend the California State University system or the University of California system.

The transfer studies degree recognizes the completion of lower division general education requirements.

The state's network of more than 100 community college campuses serves more than 2.5 million students and it is reputed to be the largest post-secondary education system in the world.

But there are troubling signs that fewer community college students are leaving with an associate’s degree or completing their baccalaureate studies at four-year colleges. A California Postsecondary Education Commission report in March 2007 found:

• Only 17 percent of students who were followed for five years obtained a two-year degree or certificate.
• Less than 22 percent earned a bachelor's degree within two years of transferring to a CSU campus.

The report recommended that policymakers support initiatives that increase the number of students transferring to four-year colleges or "increase the number of community college students earning degrees/certificates."

Community college students taking transfer studies defy categorization because of their sheer numbers.

But a 2006 study by the Public Policy Institute of California found that high school graduates who spend two years at a community college, goes straight to a CSU, UC, or private university, and walk out with a bachelor's degrees make up the minority of transfer students.

Instead, most transfer students are older. They may be holding down a job and they also may have families – situations that can slow down, interrupt, or halt their progress toward a bachelor's degree.

What is clear is that it generally takes the transfer student a longer time to attain a degree once they get into college.

And considering today’s faltering economy, I think it will be even more difficult for some transfer students to stay on track.

I fear some will have to suspend their college careers because of finances. And if they have to look for a job, their resumes will not reflect any college degree.

Assembly Bill 440 addresses this situation by rightfully recognizing the work put in by transfer students with something tangible: a degree, an achievement that increases their marketability and earning power in this uncertain economy.

Jim Beall, Jr. is the representative for the California Assembly District 24 which encompasses Campbell, Saratoga, and portions of San Jose – including Willow Glen, Santa Clara, and Los Gatos.