Grand View University Approves Iowa Private Transfer Guarantee with Iowa Community Colleges

October 18, 2024

Iowa higher education institutions are collaborating to create transfer pathways from community colleges to private four-year institutions. Grand View University has joined 18 other private, nonprofit colleges and universities across the state of Iowa in approving the Iowa Private Transfer Guarantee admission agreement with Iowa community colleges.

 Through this agreement, students who are pursuing an Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) degree at any Iowa community college are guaranteed admission to the 19 private, nonprofit colleges and universities that make up the Iowa Private Transfer Collaborative (IPTC). The IPTC received a three-year $350,000 grant from the Arthur Vining Davis and Teagle foundations in June 2023 to support the strengthening of transfer pathways from community colleges to private four-year institutions.

In addition to approving the Iowa Private Transfer Guarantee, participating private institutions are working to make their campuses more transfer-friendly in terms of accepting existing transfer majors from community colleges and identifying ways to make their campuses more receptive to transfer students. 

The grant will fund work across the state aimed at bringing together faculty from community colleges and four-year institutions to ensure the seamless transfer of academic credits and place a greater emphasis on the retention rate for students who transfer from community colleges to four-year institutions. Private institutions will work to adopt the existing statewide transfer majors biology, chemistry, English, history, psychology, and sociology. Other transfer credit policies will also be implemented, including the expansion of general education articulation agreements and reverse transfer opportunities.

Participating community colleges are Des Moines Area Community College, Eastern Iowa Community College, Hawkeye Community College, Iowa Central Community College, Iowa Lakes Community College, Iowa Valley Community College, Iowa Western Community College, Indian Hills Community College, Kirkwood Community College, North Iowa Area Community College, Northeast Iowa Community College, Northwest Iowa Community College, Southeastern Community College, Southwestern Community College, and Western Iowa Tech Community College.

Members of the IPTC are Briar Cliff University, Buena Vista University, Central College, Clarke University, Coe College, Cornell College, Drake University, Graceland University, Grand View University, Loras College, Luther College, Morningside University, Mount Mercy University, Northwestern College, Saint Ambrose University, Simpson College, University of Dubuque, Wartburg College and William Penn University.

High schoolers completing their associate degrees while still in high school must still apply through the first-year/freshman application process but are considered eligible students under the Iowa Private Transfer Guarantee agreement. All students must apply to their intended four- year schools, either through the transfer or first-year admission process.