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The ADVANCE Program, a highly successful transfer partnership between Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) and George Mason �鶹����, is showcased in the newly released , a joint publication of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program and the Community College Research Center.��

The Transfer Playbook highlights the ADVANCE Program as a national model for addressing the historically complex transfer process between community colleges and four-year institutions, citing nine examples that illustrate ADVANCE’s exceptional success. More than 90% of ADVANCE students complete their bachelor’s degree within two years of transferring to George Mason.��

The Transfer Playbook presents key strategies that community colleges and four-year institutions can adopt to eliminate obstacles faced by students, such as credit loss and low bachelor’s degree completion rates. Among the 80% of community college students aiming for a bachelor's degree nationally, only 16% achieve that goal within six years. The Transfer Playbook emphasizes the success of ADVANCE, which provides a framework of collaborative governance and a robust coaching program.��

ADVANCE has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a national model for addressing transfer challenges.��

“Since its 2018 launch, ADVANCE has improved enrollment, retention, and graduation rates for participating students while at NOVA, and their success continues after transferring to George Mason, leading to accelerated degree completion,” said NOVA President Anne M. Kress. “ADVANCE makes bachelor’s degrees more affordable and attainable, supporting NOVA’s mission to transform students’ lives and expand opportunity.”��

George Mason President Gregory Washington spoke about the program’s success on : “It requires people to sit together in a room, it requires people on both ends to modify classes, to make them work together. So, all of those hurdles are real ones, but if we provide the proper pathway, they actually can achieve and they will be successful.”����

The ADVANCE Program is a key component of the , George Mason’s statewide initiative to expand access to higher education and economic opportunity. MVP builds on the success of ADVANCE by streamlining transfer to George Mason for students who participate at NOVA. MVP also offers training and financial support to Virginians who aspire to start a business—reinforcing the university’s commitment to the commonwealth’s economic success.��

• More than 6,000 students are enrolled in ADVANCE.��

• The program eliminates transfer credit guesswork by offering 87 academic pathways that map to NOVA and George Mason curricula.����

• 60% of ADVANCE students are first generation, showing strong participation from those who stand to benefit most.��

• Coaches at both NOVA and George Mason take a holistic approach to supporting student success.����

Proof of Success: ADVANCE’s Graduation and Retention Rates��

• As of fall 2024, students at George Mason completed an average of seven fewer credits, taking 1.5 fewer semesters to graduate compared to non-ADVANCE transfer students.��

• Among the 2021 cohort, the fall-to-fall retention rate for students at NOVA was 87%, well above the national community college average of 61%.��

• At George Mason, the 2021 cohort’s retention rate was 96%, far exceeding the national average for four-year universities.��

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