Publications

Executive Summary

This report presents results from the Transfer Intent Survey (TIS), an online survey conducted by ONCAT of students’ interested in transferring to postsecondary institutions in Ontario. The purpose of the TIS was to generate insights into the early stages of transfer-related decision-making. The results cover a variety of topics on potential transfer students, such as their backgrounds, intended transfer destinations and programs of study, experiences and expectations regarding the transfer process, the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on their decisions, and their engagement with ONTransfer.ca.

The TIS was the first wave of data collected as part of a larger project known as the ONCAT Longitudinal Study of Transfer Students (OLSTS). The broader OLSTS project was a mixed-methods data collection initiative that followed students from the initial stages of considering transfer through their first semester of study at their receiving institution. The key objectives of OLSTS were to:

• Enhance our understanding of Ontario’s unique transfer landscape.
• Gain insights about the transfer process from the perspectives of students.
• Collect data at multiple timepoints along the transfer journey to provide a more comprehensive understanding of students’ experiences. 
• Inform transfer policies and practices at postsecondary institutions.
• Provide evidence-based recommendations to the government.