Truckee Meadows Community College has joined the Interstate Passport Network, the national program of two- and four-year colleges and universities that streamlines the transfer process for students. Truckee Meadows becomes the 56th member of the Network, signing up with two other Nevada institutions: University of Nevada, Reno and Nevada State College. Established in 1979, TMCC is a comprehensive community college that is part of the Nevada System of Higher Education. It serves more than 25,000 students each year in credit and non-credit programs at five educational sites and more than 20 community locations.
“Speaking on behalf of TMCC, we are thrilled to be part of a network dedicated to academic and transfer success. The Interstate Passport program is a efficient way to eliminate the pesky transfer trouble spots that hinder student access and achievement,” said Karin Hilgersom, president of the college.
Located in Reno, TMCC offers a wide range of academic and university transfer programs, occupational training, and career enhancement workshops. Students can earn an associate of arts, associate of science, associate of applied science or associate of general studies degree, plus one-year certificate or certificate of completion in more than 50 career fields. TMCC prepares students for jobs in industries in Nevada, with 95 percent of students remaining in Nevada after completing their studies.
The Interstate Passport program was founded in 2011 and became fully operational in 2016. Students who earn a Passport, which encompasses lower-division general education and is based on learning outcomes instead of course-by-course articulation, can transfer to a Network institution in another state and have their learning recognized and general education credits accepted. Since Interstate Passport launched in 2016, member institutions have awarded over 38,800 Passports.
Nearly four in 10 college students will transfer institutions at least once during their college careers, and almost a quarter of those will enroll in an institution in another state, according to data from the National Student Clearinghouse. Until now, transferring between schools – especially across state lines – has been made more difficult and expensive by lengthy credit evaluation processes and loss of credit already earned.
“We are delighted to welcome Truckee Meadows Community College to the Interstate Passport Network,” said Anna Galas, director of academic leadership initiatives at WICHE. “As the Interstate Passport Network continues to grow, we expect to see more transfer students motivated to complete their degrees. All TMCC students who earn a Passport can now more easily transfer to any Network member institution without having to repeat or take additional coursework to satisfy general education requirements, a seamless transition that will keep students on their pathway to a degree.”
Even for students who don’t transfer, earning a Passport can be beneficial. Because of its specifically defined learning outcomes, the Passport can become a widely recognizable documented completion benchmark from which employers can gauge a prospect’s skill level and readiness for a job.