| Corinne Alfeld
University of Minnesota
African American HBCU students who began at community colleges
Many African Americans begin their postsecondary education at community colleges, and while the majority declare intentions to transfer to a four-year institution, a minority actually do so. Recently, a movement has begun to try to link community colleges with 4-year historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in order to create a smoother transfer process for African American students. These two types of institutions serve similar populations; both HBCUs and community colleges are accessible to lower-income minorities who might otherwise not have enrolled in post-secondary education. A partnership between them is expected to give African Americans a better chance of obtaining a bachelor's degree. Despite enthusiasm for the endeavor, there is scarce research on this topic to guide decisions. The current study proposes to use the BPS: 90/94 and the BPS: 96/01 to trace the educational paths of African American community college students who transfer to HBCUs. The study will examine: (1) whether this type of 4-year institution provides easier access and higher rates of retention than predominantly white institutions (PWIs) for African American students who began at community colleges; (2) background differences between students who choose HBCUs vs. PWIs as their transfer destination; and (3) gender differences in outcomes, since African American men represent a declining proportion of college students and college graduates.
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