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The Relationship Between Transfer Status and Sense of Belonging at UCSC
PSYC100_Section A.pdfPrevious research has found that transfer students experience a lowered sense of belonging compared to non-transfer students (Bocek et al., 2022; Cepeda et al., 2021; Lane et al., 2015; Tejeda Padron, 2025). We investigated this relationship by administering a survey to a UCSC psychology undergraduate class. Students took a questionnaire including a scale that measured students' sense of belonging called the SABelong scale (Walton & Cohen, 2017).
The results of this study showed that transfer students reported a statistically significant lower sense of belonging compared to their non-transfer counterparts. This means that transfer students have a higher risk of experiencing the impacts of a low sense of belonging. For example, previous studies suggest that a higher sense of belonging is associated with academic success (Love, 2024).
Transfer Students likely already have established setbacks that make college more difficult (Money, Commuting), which means that resources for Transfer Students are important for a variety of reasons, not just to establish a sense of belonging.
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Student Researchers
Student Researchers
Naomi Beal, Lukas Boone-Storm, Jax Borzini, Anastacia Brodetsky, Xavier de Fontaine, Melissa German-Segovia, Makenna Ivey, Tessa Jacobs, Devon Johnson-Denneen, Nina Kapanen, Gabriel Katada, Willa Lim, Alyssa Lovdahl, Sophia Martinez, Edward Nelson, Daniel Rubio, Maceo Smith, Kay Soe, Zachary Templeman, Martha Tyler, Braden Van Velzer, Arianna Villegas, Sammy Volynsky-Krug, Imaan Yousofi
Relevant References
Relevant References
Boeck, C. A., Torres, V., & Bush, M. (2022). A multi-method exploration of community membership for transfer students. Journal of College Student Development, 63(6), 643–660. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2022.0053
Cepeda, R., Buelow, M. T., Jaggars, S. S., & Rivera, M. D. (2021). “Like a freshman who didn’t get a freshman orientation”: How transfer student capital, social support, and self-efficacy intertwine in the transfer student experience. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 767395. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.767395
Hurtado, S., & Carter, D. F. (1997). Effects of college transition and perceptions of the campus racial climate on Latino college students’ sense of belonging. Sociology of Education, 70(4), 324–345. https://doi.org/10.2307/2673270
Lane, F. C., Martin, G. L., & Henson, R. K. (2015). A multidimensional comparison of traditional, transfer, and online students’ university attachment. Journal of College Student Development, 56(7), 746–751. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2015.0071
Snider, L. G. (2022). Predicting community college students’ sense of belonging in college: Who thinks they belong, why might it matter, and what matters most? (Doctoral dissertation, University of Toledo). ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/predicting-community-college-students-sense/docview/2822481895
Tejeda Padron, A. B. (2025). Near-peer course support and students’ sense of college belonging in large enrollment upper-level psychology courses (Doctoral dissertation, University of Arizona). https://repository.arizona.edu/handle/10150/677588
Walton, G. M., & Cohen, G. L. (2007). A question of belonging: Race, social fit, and achievement. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(1), 82–96. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.92.1.82
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