Fresno City College students will soon be able to transfer more easily to Fresno State to continue their higher education journey with the launch of the City-to-State Transfer Program.

The presidents of Fresno State and Fresno City College signed a memorandum of understanding outlining the agreement last week in front of the Fresno City College Library. Both institutions say they are committed to strengthening relations and increasing the number of transfer students.

“Fresno City College is a key educational partner in elevating the quality of life in our region; I am very pleased to partner with President Robert Pimentel on this significant collaboration,” said Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval.

”This MOU will streamline the transfer process between Fresno City and Fresno State, helping remove barriers to Fresno State – a clear choice for our talented Fresno City College students, as we are a university with unparalleled value, rankings, and a supportive community.”

Fresno State mascot TimeOut and Fresno City College mascot Sam the Ram were on hand to help celebrate the agreement.

Through this partnership, the two institutions seek to accomplish the following:

• Reduce matriculation barriers.
• Hire a jointly-funded, dedicated Fresno City College transfer counselor who will focus on this pathway. Upon hire, this position should be in place by fall 2024.
• Create a summer transfer experience event, including undergraduate research projects, to take place at Fresno State.
• Continue strategic outreach programs.

“In partnership with Fresno City College, we look forward to designing programs that cater to the needs of future transfer students,” said Phong Yang, associate vice president for strategic enrollment management at Fresno State. “The City-To-State pathway increases access for future Fresno State transfer students to advising and support at a convenient location for them. We look forward to creating a more seamless transfer experience to the university.”

On average, about 900 Fresno City College students transfer to Fresno State each academic year. Leaders from both institutions hope to increase that number to more than 1,200.

“It is important for Fresno City College to enter into this formal partnership so that our students have a direct line to Fresno State to ensure their success at the university level,” Pimentel said. “While FCC students constitute the majority of transfer students each year to Fresno State, this agreement will help increase that number while also advancing our college mission and equity goals.”

This is a three-year agreement but can be extended longer if both parties agree.