Key Points
- Students who enroll at Florida State University after earning an associate in arts degree from another institution are graduating in three years at a record 85% rate, a statewide record that demonstrates FSU's commitment to transfer student success.
- Heather Bishop and Robin Haggins from FSU's Transfer Student Success (TSS) department earned national recognition from the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition for their work.
Florida State University continues to prove itself as a leader in promoting transfer student success, breaking records and winning national awards.
FSU’s three-year graduation rate for students who enroll with an associate in arts degree from another institution reached a record of 85%, the highest among Florida’s state universities.
“This record reflects who we are as a university: a community committed to ensuring every student has the support and opportunities to thrive,” said DeOnte Brown, dean of Undergraduate Studies. “It demonstrates that when FSU invests in transfer students and creates pathways for their success, they achieve at the highest level.”
The new transfer rate builds on last year’s 80% transfer student graduation rate and reflects FSU’s growing emphasis on helping transfer students make a smooth transition to the university and stay on track toward graduation.
About 25% of FSU’s undergraduate students have transferred to the university from other institutions.
Transfer Student Success leaders win national recognition
Two leaders in FSU’s Transfer Student Success (TSS) department earned national awards celebrating their dedication to bolstering transfer student success.
The National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition honored Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Studies Heather R. Bishop with the Bonita C. Jacobs Transfer Impact Award, for those who significantly shape how institution systems support transfer students, and TSS Director Robin Haggins with an Outstanding Transfer Champion Award, for those who make a difference in transfer students’ lives.
Bishop has worked at FSU to implement university-level policy that improves the transfer student transition experience and progression throughout their studies. Bishop is a liaison between Florida College System institutions and FSU, where she helps monitor student transitions between universities.
“I have learned that what many transfer students yearn for is a sense of community,” Bishop said. “We have been successful in creating such a community through our innovative peer-led initiatives, and I believe it is a major factor in our transfer student success.”
Haggins interacts with transfer students across the university by leading events and providing academic support, coaching and mentoring.
“For me, the greatest measure of our success is not just a student’s graduation—it is seeing students gain confidence, find their voice, build community and recognize that they belong here,” Haggins said.
TSS provides students with specialized advising, events to meet other transfer students and networking opportunities with campus partners to promote post-graduate professional success.
In 2024, FSU launched a chapter of the Tau Sigma National Honor Society, an organization specifically for transfer students.
In October 2025, FSU recognized the accomplishments of transfer students at its inaugural Transfer Student Leadership Summit. The summit began FSU’s celebration of National Transfer Student Week, which increases the sense of community among transfer students.
Bishop and Haggins will receive their respective awards at the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition’s Transfer Student Experience conference June 29–July 1, 2027, in Charlotte, North Carolina. The center is an internationally recognized leader in supporting postsecondary student transitions.
“Heather and Robin represent two essential dimensions of exceptional transfer student support: strengthening the institutional systems that serve students and making a direct difference in students’ lives,” Dean Brown said. “FSU’s transfer students bring tremendous experiences, perspectives and aspirations to our university, and we’re proud to provide resources designed with their success in mind.”
To learn more about how FSU develops the success of its transfer students, visit the TSS website.