Transfer and Learning Mobility in 2026 and Beyond

"Nearly four in 10 adult Americans have tried to transfer credit toward a college degree or credential. Of those, 58 percent lost credits in the process. For some, the consequences were severe: using up financial aid and repeating classes they'd already passed. Sixteen percent reported giving up on higher education altogether because the transfer process was simply too difficult. These aren't just statistics. They represent learners and workers who lost time, money and faith in a system that promised them opportunity."

"Many have been trying to address these issues, and great work is underway. But the effort to transform transfer and learning mobility still lacks a coordinated and sustained focus at scale. Transfer and learning mobility are still treated as niche issues affecting a small percentage of students, rather than an increasingly common reality for today's learners that should compel higher education to evolve. We have not yet achieved the fundamental mindset shifts, or built the supportive infrastructure,"

Nearly four in ten adult Americans have attempted to transfer college credit toward a degree or credential, and 58 percent of those learners lost credits in the process. Credit loss has translated into depleted financial aid, repeated coursework, wasted time and money, and eroded confidence in higher education. Sixteen percent of transfer seekers abandoned higher education because the transfer process was too difficult. Transfer and learning mobility remain treated as niche issues rather than a common reality for contemporary learners, and the system lacks coordinated, sustained focus and supportive infrastructure. Fundamental mindset shifts and systemic reforms are needed to treat all learning fairly and preserve economic mobility.

Read at Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs