ESCANABA — Transferring to a four-year college or university from Bay College will now be simpler thanks to new transfer agreements signed with 25 Michigan colleges and universities.

“This is a terrific opportunity for students in our community. Our students have had great success transferring on to our four-year university partners, and these agreements will make their experience even easier,” said Matt Barron, vice president of academic affairs at Bay College.

Transfer agreements will allow Bay College students to transfer more credits to four-year schools in the areas of biology, business, criminal justice and psychology. The new agreements specify major-specific courses that students should complete while enrolled at Bay that are common across all institutions in Michigan. The identification of these courses makes it easier for students to complete essential courses before deciding where to transfer.

Bay College advisors and counselors now have details available for students about which courses they should complete and how those courses apply to degree programs at the participating universities.

“Transferring from community college to a four-year college or university is more common than ever,” said Erica Lee Orians, executive director of the Michigan Center for Student Success at the Michigan Community College Association. “Our community colleges want to ensure that students receive credit for the courses they have completed when they take the next step in their education.”

The initiative was funded through the Fiscal Year 2018 state budget which included a one-time appropriation to support this initiative, the redesigned Michigan Transfer Network at www.mitransfer.org, work to build stronger math pathways, and efforts to award credit for military experience.

A study conducted by the National Student Clearinghouse found that 52 percent of bachelor’s degree earners in Michigan previously enrolled at a community college, which is higher than the national average of 49 percent.

The Michigan Center for Student Success is leading the statewide initiative for the MCCA in partnership with the Michigan Association of State Universities and the Michigan Independent Colleges and Universities. The project continues through fall 2020 and Bay College is working on completing additional agreements in other academic program areas.