Recognizing that every student’s academic journey is different, but every accomplishment is important and should be recognized, Hostos Community College has entered into an historic agreement with Lehman College and Bronx Community College.
 
A “Reverse Transfer System” was launched on July 3, 2014 —the first in New York— that will allow students at one of the Bronx area community colleges to take credits they earn at Lehman College and advance them toward an associate degree at their “home” community college.
 
In the past, if a student’s road toward their associate degree hit a detour before they pursued a bachelor’s degree, the work they had done at their two-year school went unrecognized. With this new pact, a student will be able to earn an associate degree from Hostos or Bronx Community College, on their way to a four-year degree at Lehman.
 
This system helps students build their confidence, their academic portfolio, and can increase the likelihood of graduating on time.
 
Reverse Transfer Systems are part of a national educational trend. Colleges in Texas, Nebraska, Michigan, North Carolina and Missouri, to name a few, have been creating such systems for several years to increase students’ success rates.
 
Hostos President Félix V. Matos Rodríguez said he hopes this model spreads to more colleges in this region.
 
“I would like to thank our partners, Dr. Ricardo R. Fernández, President of Lehman College, and Dr. Carole M. Berotte Joseph, President of Bronx Community College, for helping to form this important  partnership. Hopefully, this pact can serve as a great example of how to motivate and reward students who are on their way to a college degree,” President Matos Rodríguez said.
 
Félix Cardona, Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs at Hostos, believes that this new pact is a potential game changer for undergraduate students in the Bronx. 
 
“The recognition of successful academic progress at both institutions benefits students by enhancing the possibilities for employment while completing a second degree,” Cardona said. “The partnership advances the concept of an integrated university in the service of student success.”
 
About Hostos Community College
Eugenio María de Hostos Community College is an educational agent for change that has been transforming and improving the quality of life in the South Bronx and neighboring communities since 1968. It serves as a gateway to intellectual growth and socioeconomic mobility, as well as a point of departure for lifelong learning, success in professional careers, and transfer to advanced higher education programs. The College’s unique "Student Success Coaching Unit" provides students with individualized guidance and exemplifies its emphasis on student support services.
 
Hostos offers 29 associate degree programs and five certificate programs that facilitate easy transfer to CUNY's four-year colleges or baccalaureate studies at other institutions. The College has an award-winning Division of Continuing Education & Workforce Development that offers professional development courses and certificate-bearing workforce training programs. Hostos is part of The City University of New York (CUNY), the nation's leading urban public university, which serves more than 480,000 students at 24 colleges.