The echoes of faculty advocacy filled the campus as American River College transfer student Eric Duplantier walked nervously into his first class at Sacramento State: Marketing 101.<\/p>\n
Duplantier, 24, began his first semester at an unexpected time. The night before classes started, the California Faculty Association reached a tentative labor agreement<\/a> with the California State University. Despite this, Duplantier was eager to start his education at Sac State.<\/p>\n \u201cI came in very bright and starry eyed with rose-lenses on,\u201d Dupantier said. \u201cNow that I\u2019m a little bit older, I have a much different perspective on [the trajectory of] my path.\u201d<\/p>\n Transfer students occupy a unique position within the undergraduate experience. As they enter a new environment, they bring academic and life experience from their previous academic institutions.<\/p>\n Studies <\/a>show that human thoughts are guided by the strength of metacognition, or overarching mental processes, a key tenant to wisdom built over time. The continuous thread through the wisdom and confidence that transfer students carry allows them to stitch together their unique higher education journeys.<\/p>\n Many transfer students navigate their transition to a new college in unanticipated circumstances, like Ezra Lilly, a 27-year-old graduate student studying communication sciences. Lilly said that transferring from Modesto Junior College to Sac State during the pandemic was difficult but made her appreciate campus life more.<\/p>\n \u201cGetting to see the campus full of students interacting and smiling was a nice feeling,\u201d Lilly said. \u201cA lot of us could be first-generation, so we\u2019re breaking the chains of the past and creating a new future for ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n Transfer students contribute significantly to the campus community. As of fall 2024, transfer students made up about 51% of Sacramento State\u2019s incoming <\/a>class, making them a key part of the student body and campus culture.<\/p>\n In an effort to increase transfer applicants, Sac State adjusted the enrollment requirements<\/a> to admit students earlier in their higher education. Beginning in the spring 2025 semester, the university began accepting community college transfer students with fewer than 60 semester credits.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n After the application adjustment, transfer student enrollment increased by over 600 students<\/a>. With students transferring from over 100 different California institutions, they each come with unique experiences that shape their level of immersion into Sac State\u2019s culture.<\/p>\n Mikayla Thomas, 22, graduated from Sac State in 2025 with a bachelor\u2019s degree in psychology. When she transferred from Sacramento City College in spring 2024, she moved into an apartment closer to campus and immersed herself into campus culture.<\/p>\n During her time as an employee at the Transfer Resource Center<\/a>, Thomas was able to use her knowledge of campus resources to support fellow transfer students and tailor her academic journey. She found there was room for improvement in how the university supports transfer students.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like Sac State would benefit so much more if they put a little more resources into the transfer population,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cSome schools have transfer bridge [programs] and transfer housing that I feel would be helpful for transfer students.\u201d<\/p>\n Sac State\u2019s Transfer Bridge Program<\/a> is a \u201cfree intensive six-week summer academic program\u201d held on Zoom to support the transition from community college to a four-year university. Focused on underrepresented groups, students must be enrolled in at least 12 units for the subsequent fall semester to apply. Programs such as these could benefit from intensified promotion tactics to students.<\/p>\n When it comes to aiding the financial and housing burden some students may face, there is room for improvement. On Aug. 21, 2025, UC Berkeley\u2019s Helen Diller Anchor House <\/a>opened as a transfer student exclusive housing facility. This addition expanded the university\u2019s existing Maximo Martinez Commons\u2019 Transfer Living Learning Community<\/a>.<\/p>\n Recent Category II fee increases<\/a>, along with continued tuition rate increases, have left many students frustrated with the university\u2019s focus on athletics <\/a>and use of funds. These financial burdens only add to the load that many transfer students carry.<\/p>\n Duplantier has worked for the past 10 years and now holds three jobs while balancing life and full-time study. While he has been supported by financial aid, he said he has had to fill in some gaps with student loans, especially for his recent spring semester studying abroad.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m fortunate enough to where my grants and scholarships pay for most of [tuition],\u201d Duplantier said. \u201cBut I can\u2019t help but wonder, if the tuition hadn\u2019t increased, what situation would I be in?\u201d<\/p>\n Thomas said she feels that the increase in sports-related fees<\/a> and heightened investment in <\/a>athletics<\/a> has come at the expense of the broader student population.She said that the university should be directing student fees towards infrastructure and course availability.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like if they\u2019re going to charge us a bunch of extra money, they should be putting a considerable amount into making sure we have enough classes for students and top-tier resources,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cIf our college doesn\u2019t even have good enough materials for us, there\u2019s no point in us having top tier sports.\u201d<\/p>\n