TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senator Joe Cryan that updates New Jersey’s statewide college credit-transfer system and establishes a New Jersey Transfer Ombudsperson advanced today from the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.

The bill, S-3178, would strengthen and modernize the Statewide Transfer Agreement that governs how academic credits move between New Jersey’s public colleges and universities. Under the legislation, the New Jersey Presidents’ Council, in consultation with the Transfer Ombudsperson and with approval from the Secretary of Higher Education, would be required to set updated standards for the transfer and application of credits. This includes ensuring that general education courses, dual-enrollment credits, and concurrent-enrollment credits are fully transferable and applicable across all public institutions.

“Transfer students deserve a clear, consistent pathway that doesn’t set them back or force them to repeat courses they’ve already mastered,” said Senator Cryan (D-Union), chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee. “These reforms make the system more accountable and student-centered, so more New Jerseyans can stay on track to earn a degree, reduce costs, and enter the workforce with confidence.”

The bill would require every public institution of higher education to participate in a collective statewide transfer agreement, as well as a statewide reverse-transfer agreement that allows students who transfer before completing an associate degree to earn that credential using credits completed after transfer. Institutions would also be required to maintain an appeals process for resolving disputes over credit-transfer decisions.

The bill would establish the Office of the New Jersey Transfer Ombudsperson to serve as a resource for both students and institutions in navigating the transfer process and ensuring compliance with statewide standards. At the request of either party, the ombudsperson would be permitted to act as an impartial mediator in disputes, collecting and reviewing relevant information before issuing a final report. The office would also issue an annual public report on transfer trends, maintain regular engagement with institutional stakeholders, and review the statewide agreement at least once every five years.