Navigating Transfer “Pivotal Points” in Challenging Contexts: A Longitudinal Investigation of STEM Transfer Students’ Pathways During COVID-19

Community colleges have long been touted as a pathway to increase social mobility through their transfer function, yet this promise has not always been realized. This study uses the lens of community cultural wealth, particularly the concepts of aspirational, social, and navigational capitals, to understand vertical transfer students’ experiences and outcomes during the pandemic. Longitudinal interviews were conducted with 27 students over a four-year period as they moved through the transfer pathway in STEM majors. Students who transferred to a university immediately prior to or during the pandemic experienced greater academic and navigational challenges and reported diminished access to social capital. Students employed multiple, informal navigational strategies and drew on social networks, when possible, to maintain their academic progress. Findings also reveal the importance of the transfer-receiving department, especially access to supportive institutional agents, in sustaining STEM transfer students’ progress during COVID-19.