Missouri Community College Association Celebrates Passage of Transfer Bill
Jefferson City, MO — May 15, 2025 — The Missouri Community College Association (MCCA) is extremely grateful to the Missouri General Assembly for passing a transformative bill that promises to simplify and strengthen the pathways from community college to a four-year degree. The newly approved Higher Education Core Curriculum Transfer Act represents a major victory for Missouri students by guaranteeing that key coursework will transfer seamlessly between public colleges and universities across the state.
The legislation, now on its way to the Governor’s desk for signature, establishes a 60-credit-hour, transferable lower-division course block for five high-demand degree programs: general business, elementary education, general psychology, nursing, and general biology or biological sciences. Once signed into law, this legislation will ensure that students who complete this course block at any Missouri public community college will have their credits fully accepted by any public university offering the same program.
“This legislation creates consistency within lower-division courses and will save students time and money on their educational pursuit,” said Brian Millner, President/CEO of MCCA. “The passage of this bill is a win for students and families, as well as Missouri taxpayers. Ensuring students won’t have to retake lower-division courses in their declared major when they transfer to a university will create a much more seamless process. It’s great to see Missouri’s public colleges and universities come together to improve student pathways.”
Under the act, all public institutions will adopt a common course numbering system and course equivalency matrix, ensuring that the content and credit value of core courses are recognized statewide. In collaboration with the Coordinating Board for Higher Education, a committee of experts will work to design single articulation pathways that guide students clearly and efficiently from associate to bachelor’s degrees.
The Missouri Community College Association commends the Missouri General Assembly for its leadership and looks forward to the Governor’s signature on this game-changing legislation for Missouri’s students.