While a portion of the remaining students at Cabrini will graduate at the end of the semester, many others will not. Those who aren’t graduating face a very difficult choice: where will they finish their college education?
The transfer process
The Center for Student Success has been meeting with students since September with the intention of guiding students through the transfer process. While these meetings were met with a mixed reception, they remain a crucial part of the transfer process, especially for students interested in transferring to one of Cabrini’s partner schools.
Dr. Kimberly Boyd, the dean for Student Success and Retention, is a key figure in identifying pathways for students who have to transfer at the end of the semester. “We want to make sure students have a plan to continue their education and know the benefits of this partnership we’ve developed,” Boyd said.
Despite the stress put onto students with the transfer process, nobody has given up on pursuing a college education. “Of the students we met with last semester, every one said they expected to continue,” Boyd said.
Winter break saw the departure of a significant number of students. “A few hundred students left at the end of the fall semester. Those students, for the most part, went to non-partner schools,” Boyd said.
The CSS met with 93% of the remaining undergraduate students which leads Boyd to conclude most of the students who are still enrolled at Cabrini intend to transition to one of the partner institutions.
Survey says . . .
Recently, the Loquitur conducted a survey asking students where they planned to transfer. The survey was conducted in The Grill, and accumulated 47 responses. According to the survey, around 54% of undergraduate students intend to transfer to a partner school, and around 16% of undergraduate students intend to transfer to a non-partner school. However, the remaining 30% of students are still unsure of where they are going.
“We’re finding exactly the same thing,” Boyd said after hearing about the results. “The third category is the one that worries me the most,” she added.
Factors of uncertainty
Students cited two major reasons for their ambivalence. Like many of Dori Martin’s peers the issue is indecision. Martin, a sophomore middle level and special education major, said, “I’m thinking about either Eastern or Coastal Carolina.”
Teagan Kowalik, a freshman biochemistry major, is undecided for a reason outside of her control. “I have to wait to see what I get for financial aid,” she said.
The problem with financial aid
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid was altered for 2024-25, resulting in
delays in receiving financial packages for students nationwide. Cabrini students waiting for a return on their FAFSA will have to wait until March.
One of the biggest components of the transfer process is financial aid. “Our partner schools are guaranteeing a matching financial aid program that is equivalent to what Cabrini offered,” Boyd said.
What can students do now?
The CSS has been meeting with students since September, and continues to offer meetings to any student who hasn’t attended yet. Dr. Boyd encourages anyone still unsure of where they want to go to meet with a CSS advisor to lock down a plan for their future.
Cabrini’s administration asks that all students who cannot finish their degree at Cabrini and plan to transition to a partner school should complete the “Cavaliers on the Move” form in the portal. If attending a non-partner school, students should email studentsuccess@cabrini.edu with their plans.
