Social Capital for Vertical Transfers: The Multidimensional Predictor of Post-Transfer Adjustment and Academic Performance

Vertical transfers, those who transferred from a 2-year institution to a 4-year institution, often face multifaceted challenges and lower success rates upon arriving at the receiving 4-year institutions. This quantitative study focused on three forms of social capital related to post-transfer adjustment, retention, and success for vertical transfers. The author administered an online survey to vertical transfers who successfully transferred from a 2-year college to a research-intensive, public, 4-year university located in a Southern state in the United States and matched the survey data with students' transcript data. A factor analysis discovered three distinct social capital constructs: transfer capital, 4-year faculty social capital, and 4-year staff social capital. Subsequent regression analyses revealed that 4-year faculty social capital positively predicted the post-transfer grade point average (GPA), while the transfer capital and 4-year staff social capital had a positive association with post-transfer social adjustment. Implications for policy, practice, and future research are discussed.