Transferring out of Bakersfield College shouldn’t be a hassle. There are many resources offered to students looking to further their education beyond community college. 

The school offers transfer pathways that students can follow to earn their associates’ degree in two years then transfer to a bachelor’s degree program at a four-year university. BC offers around 32 transfer degrees to pick from. 

There is a program called the Bakersfield College Kern Promise, which, according to the BC website, includes a, “commitment to help students complete their ADT within two instructional years through structured support and priority access to courses.”

When a student has completed the Kern Promise and ADT in two years they are “guaranteed admission into the CSU system in a similar major but not necessarily to a particular campus,” according to the website. So this means students who complete the program are practically guaranteed admission to most CSUs. Even the ones that do not guarantee admission will still favor these students above those that are transferring without an ADT. 

There are two programs under the Bakersfield College Kern Promise, Finish-in-4 and Transfer-in-2. Both programs have some similarities and some differences at the same time. 

Finish-in-4 is for students who plan on transferring to California State University, Bakersfield. Once the program and an ADT degree that has a similar Bachelor’s degree offered at CSUB is obtained, admission is guaranteed. 

Once students are a part of the program they must follow the requirements or they will be dropped from the program. There are different requirements for both years such as in year one for example one requirement is that you must declare an approved ADT and in year two one requirement is that you must remain in good standing with the college, however both years it’s required that you maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher. 

A few of the benefits that come along with Finish-in-4 are day two priority registration, access to a pathway counselor, associate’s degree in 60 units, and guaranteed admission to CSUB. One of the biggest benefits is that “Bakersfield College guarantees free tuition options for first-time full-time students as part of the Kern Promise: Finish in 4 Promise Scholar Program.”

Getting two tuition-free years is something that many schools don’t offer. Even the other benefits such as priority registration are huge when most students are stressing about getting the classes they want, and even access to counselors are extremely helpful especially now when most aren’t taking appointments for students but Kern Promise counselors still are. 

The Transfer-in-2 program is for students who earn an Associate Degree in 60-semester units and then transfer to a four-year institution with a similar major within two years. The requirements are the same for Finish-in-4 except for the list of ADT’s to choose from is slightly different. The benefits are also the same except for the free tuition guaranteed for Finish-in-4, however, you may still earn substantial financial aid with the “MDRC’s Scaling UP Community College Efforts for Student Success”. SUCCESS was created to help improve graduation rates. Kern Promise students qualify and if accepted they are given monthly financial incentives. 

Once students are ready to start applying to universities to transfer to, Kern Promise counselors will be there to help them. As the website states, “The goal is to move students through to the next stage of their educational and career goals in a more efficient and impactful way.”