1) Academic and articulation barriers
Challenge:	Possible solutions:
Without the existence of an articulation agreement, some four-year colleges require transfer students to retake courses they already completed at the community college.	Articulation agreements between institutions would help, but students must be aware that these agreements exist. Additionally, there must be communication between individuals responsible for course content and the transfer process at both the four-year and two-year institutions. Additional strategies that might be helpful include: dual admission, encouraging classic transfer, optimizing the amount of credit accepted in transfer, and keeping community college students from transferring too early.

2) Institutional bureaucracy
Challenge:	Possible solutions:
The stringent rules, regulations, and requirements for transfer at some universities can keep students from transferring. Often times, overall GPA is the deciding factor for accepting the student, while the student’s overall academic history is ignored.	Both institutions could make meaningful and comprehensive printed information about the transfer process available to students. The four-year institution could review and revise any unnecessary bureaucratic procedures, and encourage personnel to reconsider selective admissions practices that limit a number of community college students from transferring.

3) Geography
Challenge:	Possible solutions:
One of the conveniences of community colleges is that most students are within commuting distance of an institution. This is not always the case for four-year institutions.	In Florida, some communities are not located near universities, so the state government allows the community colleges to offer a limited selection of bachelor’s in high demand fields. Additionally, some community colleges in Arkansas, Georgia, Nevada, New York, and Utah now offer a bachelor’s degree.

4) Economic concerns
Challenge:	Possible solutions:
There is a distinct cost difference between public community colleges and four-year institutions. For students from low-income families (a high percentage of community college students), the colleges are out of financial reach.	Both four- and two-year institutions could make information about financial aid opportunities readily available to students.

5) Age
Challenge:	Possible solutions:
The culture, programs, and services offered by four-year institutions tend to cater to the traditional college student. For adults, there may be uncertainty and apprehension about being in classes that are full of traditional age students; and they may also lack confidence in their own abilities.	Advisors could be aware of and sensitive to the specific needs of older students. This is another barrier, which with collaboration between the two institutions, could be alleviated. Community colleges work with adult students to a greater extent then four-year institutions, so the college can share information on specific student services important to the adult learner.

6) Race/Ethnicity
Challenge:	Possible solutions:
For students who are in a minority group, the typically less diverse and larger four-year campuses may create a belief that the college has a non-supportive culture, and does not welcome those who are different.	The four-year institution could be aware of its multicultural students, and could ensure that adequate student services exist to deal with the specific needs. Advisors could develop a multicultural perspective, and this might be accomplished through in-service or other forms of training.

7) Occupational or vocational programs
Challenge:	Possible solutions:
Four-year colleges may be hesitant to accept a student who has been enrolled in an occupational or vocational program instead of a transfer-preparation program. Students who graduated with a terminal degree may also find more problems transferring than students with an A.A. degree.	The only solution to this concern is an articulation agreement, even on a program level. As shown by the University of Maryland and Montgomery College Nursing agreement, when course content is evaluated by both institutions, transferring credits becomes easier.

8) First-generation students
Challenge:	Possible solutions:
First-generation college students often deal with academic and personal challenges that they have never dealt with, and are not prepared for. Community colleges may be better suited to deal with these students since the majority start off in a community college.	Some effective strategies include enhanced counseling, advising services, using faculty advisors, and Coordinated Studies Programs (CSPs). CSPs bring faculty from different parts of the college together for an interdisciplinary approach to teaching.

9) Single-parents
Challenge:	Possible solutions:
Simply attending an institution as a single-parent can be a difficult task, let alone transferring to a four-year institution. Many universities may not have the needed student services available.	This is another example where the student services offered by the institution must address the specific needs of the student. Besides the obvious childcare concerns, colleges must be sensitive to the needs of these individuals. Again, this is an area where collaboration between institutions could occur.

10) Accreditation
Challenge:	Possible solutions:
Although the AACC definition of community colleges includes only those colleges with either full regional accreditation or candidacy status, not all two-year colleges are regionally accredited. Most four-year colleges will not accept the transfer credits from a nationally accredited institution.	Due to the more stringent accreditation standards from regional associations, the likelihood that four-year institutions will accept credits from a non-regionally accredited institution is slim. The real solution here is that the two-year college must apply for and receive accreditation status from a regional association to successfully transfer students.