As Texas State enrollment continues to break records, transfer students are contributing to that population increase, which is expected to hit 50,000 by 2035.
Gary Ray, associate vice president for enrollment management, said Texas State has 981 transfers who enrolled this spring.
“Typically when you build enrollment, you’re looking at new students, which would include new transfers,” Ray said. “You’re also really committed to retention of students that you currently have, because returning students makes up the largest number.
Texas State has high retention rates for transfer students with 95% of the transfers who started in fall 2024 signed up for spring classes.
Last April, President Kelly Damphousse and Austin Community College (ACC) Chancellor Russell Lowery-Hart signed a partnership for a transfer program between the two schools, called Bats to Cats.
Bats to Cats is a guaranteed transfer program that opened its applications fall 2024 and launches in fall 2025. According to Ray, 285 ACC students joined the Bats to Cats program in the first 90 days of its opening.
Students who declare they want to be a part of the program and transfer to Texas State within their first 30 hours of enrolling at ACC will have guidance from both universities on the correct courses for their degree.
The first declaration period was Sept. 1, 2024. The students only have to fill out the declaration form with no fees to transfer with this program. The next declaration period begins Feb. 1.
According to Ray, the majority of ACC students intend to transfer to a four-year university, but only 25% transfer in three years.
“[Bats to Cats] takes in consideration that ACC is the top transfer-sending institution, so we’re starting with those who send more of their students to us and trying to work out these details,” Ray said.
Texas State is the number one transfer destination for ACC students according to Renee Esparza, director of transfer services at ACC.
“Bats to Cats helps with that transition by handing off to Texas State staff who will help students on board successfully and easily,” Esparza said.
ACC is offering a free tuition pilot program that grants free tuition for up to three years for an associate’s degree and five years for a bachelor’s degree to recent graduates in the ACC service area.
“My personal experience is that Austin and Central Texas are very expensive places to live, so being able to provide education for free is almost life changing,” Esparza said. “We have students who said they didn’t think they were going to be able to go to college before learning about these programs.”
Bats to Cats also offers financial incentives to students in the program. Once the transfers are at Texas State, they’ll receive $1,000 a year for two years and an additional $1,000 a year if they transfer to the Round Rock campus.
Ray said a priority for transfer students is creating a sense of belonging. Students in the Bats to Cats program will get tickets to certain events throughout the school year.
Stefan Rainbolt, international studies junior, transferred from an Illinois community college to ACC and then to Texas State. Rainbolt said the advising center and career services were helpful in helping him transfer and change his major, but he had to build a community by himself as a nontraditional student.
“I’m 24, and an out-of-state transfer who doesn’t live on campus, so meeting people and kind of engrossing myself into the campus culture was going to be harder for me from the get-go,” Rainbolt said.
