Augustana joins initiative to make transferring easier

Augustana College has earned receiving status from the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI), a transfer agreement which makes it easier for Illinois undergrads to transfer from one college or university in Illinois to another.

"Participation in the IAI serves as an important symbol to transfer students -- in Chicagoland, here in the Quad Cities and across the entire state -- that Augie whole-heartedly welcomes those with an associate's degree," said Bonnie Jessee, associate director of admissions and transfer enrollment.

"With dozens of two-year public institutions designated with export status, Augustana is in a strong position to help someone with an associate's degree earn their bachelor's on time and on budget," said W. Kent Barnds, executive vice president at Augustana.

Jessee said that, for example, if a high school student in this region wanted to attend Black Hawk College or Carl Sandburg College for two years and earn their associate's degree, the IAI agreement would give them assurance transferring to Augustana would go smoothly.

"The transfer students who typically pick Augustana tend to be smart, hard-working and budget-conscious,” said Barnds. “They like the idea of saving money by attending a community college and living at home for a couple of years, and then they couple that with Augustana's generous scholarship packages. It can be a low-cost path to a prestigious degree.”

Augustana's renewed commitment to transfer students is partially prompted by the college's move from a trimester calendar to a semester calendar. The college's new academic calendar better aligns with the semester calendar many colleges use.

Augustana plans to significantly increase the number of transfer students in the next two years, with goals for 20 additional transfers in fall 2020, going from 40 to 60, and from eight to 20 in spring 2021. The growth in transfer recruitment is intended to coincide with the addition of new majors in kinesiology and data analytics, along with the addition of women’s varsity water polo.

Augustana will welcome incoming students, including eight transfer students and 20 international students, to start the spring semester Feb. 5.