
NKU and Gateway Announce Reverse Transfer Program
A new reverse transfer program between Northern Kentucky University and Gateway Community
& Technical College will offer students the option of obtaining an associate degree
even after transferring from Gateway to NKU.
A community college education is an important step toward a fulfilling life and career,
said Gateway President/CEO Ed Hughes. Our new reverse transfer program will properly
reward those students who are making progress toward their bachelors degree at NKU.
This is a great way to recognize the work they do at Gateway while also encouraging
students to complete a bachelors degree.
The reverse transfer agreement, signed today by both institutions, recognizes students
achievements with an associate degree after they have transferred to a four-year institution
and have accumulated the credits needed to fulfill the two-year degree program requirements.
It also recognizes the degree completion for the community college, which receives
no credit for the degree through current measures tracking completions. With the agreement
in place, Gateway will be able to award more college degrees.
NKU officials say there are currently more than 50 students who may be eligible for
the program. It targets students who earn at least 20 credit hours from Gateway before
transferring to NKU and go on to earn a minimum of 90 total credit hours, with at
least 15 earned at NKU.
Our partnership with Gateway was strengthened last year with our Gateway2NKU degree
pathway program and today marks another important step toward creating a seamless
transition for students, said NKU President Geoffrey Mearns. Were proud to partner
again with Gateway to recognize the value of the associate degree and the hard work
it takes to earn one. Sometimes students can get discouraged when they transfer to
a four-year program and are suddenly further from their goal of graduating. Reverse
transfer offers an incentive to stay motivated and on track to graduate with a degree
from NKU.
Nationally, reverse transfer programs have proven effective. Students who earn an
associate degree through reverse transfer see retention rates at the four-year institution
improve by 10 percent. And in an increasingly competitive job market, reverse transfer
degrees can give an extra edge to recent graduates. Having both an associate and bachelors
degree on a resume reflects a broader, more accurate view of a graduates skills and
training received over time.
Last fall, NKU and Gateway announced the creation of a degree pathway program that
begins with enrollment at Gateway and ends with a bachelors degree from NKU. The program,
which initially included 25 distinct degree pathways, features dual admission in which
participating students are enrolled simultaneously at NKU and Gateway, providing access
to all student activities and services at both institutions as well as personalized
academic advising. Gateway2NKU students can also take up to four NKU courses at Gateway's
tuition rates.
For more information on the NKU/Gateway Reverse Transfer Program, visit http://gateway2.nku.edu/reversetransfer.htmlor contact Mary Lepper at lepperm@nku.edu or (859) 572-6124.