June 5-7, 2025
University of Texas at Austin
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Event Description
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Objectives
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Expected outcomes
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About Catch The Next
Event Description
Purpose of the Transfer Motivational Conference
The CTN Motivational Conference encourages students to transfer to a university to complete a Bachelor’s or Advanced degree. In particular, we want our students to see what university life is like by allowing them to stay and eat at a college dormitory. Students will also learn about financial aid, housing, and the transfer process. Our goal is to increase the educational attainment of underserved, first-generation, low-income students, given their low graduation rates.
Statement of Need:
The Texas Senate passed Bill 25 at the 86th legislative session to facilitate transfer rates and asked The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to report on the status of community college transfers. The THECB reported that in fall 2021, there were 30,602 community college transfer students in Texas 1. The percentage of community college transfer students accepted and enrolled (76.1%) was more significant than that of new first-year students at universities (55.6%) 1. Yet, by the fall of 2022, upward transfers from community colleges to universities fell 7.5 percent year over year and 14.5 percent relative to the fall of 2020, according to National Student Clearinghouse Research Center data. Transfer continuities are challenging for many students due to institutional barriers that force them to navigate the process alone. Catch the Next recognized this problem. To improve transfer rates, the transfer experience, and retention and graduation rates, Catch the Next partnered with the University of Texas at Austin, Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, nine years ago to reinforce the transfer pipeline.
Objectives
Objectives
The main objective of this conference is to bring together Catch the Next students in a collaborative environment to gain insight from university representatives on topics such as:
- University Admissions processes
- University Financial Aid processes
- Transferring credits from community college to a university
- Housing options
- Transferring to a four-year university requires career planning and time management skills.
- Career opportunities
Expected outcomes
Expected outcomes
Students will:
- Discover they can transfer to a four-year university
- Discover the rich educational and community experience at UT/Austin
- Enhance their knowledge about the admissions process to attend a university
- Enhance their knowledge about the financial aid process to attend a university
- Enhance their knowledge about the credit transfer process to attend a university.
- Enhance their knowledge of career opportunities
- Gain communication skills, critical and creative thinking skills, creative problem-solving skills, and decision-making skills
- Understand the need for a call to commit to advancement and participation to assist in the increase and successful transfer to a university.
- Understand that there is substantial linkage between conference attendance and cultural engagement.
- Understand the promotion of a sense of collaboration through CTN conference relationships
- Understand that participation in the Transfer Motivational Conference can benefit the application process, as it is recognized as a unique leadership experience.
About Catch The Next
About Catch the Next, Inc.
Catch the Next is a not-for-profit organization established in 2009 to increase the educational attainment of underserved low-income and first-generation students. Since 2012, CTN has conducted its student success program, now called ASCENDER, and the Transformative Teaching Institutes focused on state policy and practice from a cultural wealth approach. Through its programming, CTN has served 32 community colleges and 20 state colleges and Universities.
For more information, go to www.catchthenext.org
Contact: Maria.chavez@catchthenext.org