Pipeline AI: Supercharges Counselors, Doubles Transfers at Community Colleges

UC Irvine student wins Cal State Fullerton pitch competition, launches AI to solve California's 1-in-5 transfer crisis
COSTA MESA, Calif. - January 30, 2026 - Tyler Maher remembers the moment he realized the community college transfer system was fundamentally flawed. It was when he looked around his community college classroom and realized that four out of five students sitting next to him would never transfer to their dream universities.

"I know this statistic personally. I'm one of the lucky ones who made it through," Maher said. "But watching my classmates wander aimlessly through a maze of transfer requirements was frustrating. It was wrong."

Today, Maher-now the first UC Irvine student to win Cal State Fullerton's Titan Fast Pitch business competition and the recent winner of UCI's Chancellor's Club pitch-is launching Pipeline, an AIpowered platform designed to increase transfer rates at community colleges by giving students perfect transfer plans.

THE 1IN5 CRISIS

Only 1 in 5 California community college students who intend to transfer actually do so within four years. Many accumulate 80 or more units for degrees designed to be 60, and less than a third transfer within six years. Forty percent of transferintending students drop out before reaching their goal.

"This isn't a student or counselor problem. It's a systemic problem," Maher said. "Transfer requirements and rules are so fragmented and they change constantly. Counselors spend precious time figuring out what students want to do and then manually checking articulation agreements. Students miss prerequisites, lose momentum, and give up."

Meanwhile, the California Community Colleges' Vision 2030 plan demands higher transfer rates, fewer excess units, and closed equity gaps. "Vision 2030 sets the goals," Maher said. "Pipeline is how we actually hit them."

HOW PIPELINE AI WORKS

Pipeline is built specifically for California's community college ecosystem. Students enter four variables-their community college, target university, intended major, and optimal timeline. Pipeline instantly generates an accurate termbyterm plan for students. The best part? This is all done before a counseling appointment even begins. Students arrive at counseling appointments with complete plans. Counselors spend their time on what matters: career guidance, mentalhealth support, and helping firstgeneration students navigate lifechanging decisions.

"Pipeline's proprietary AI is meant to supercharge counselors, giving them the resources and time to make an impact on previously underserved groups," Maher said. "We believe in leveraging counselors for their exceptional human advising skills-not for monotonous planning. This eliminates human error and supercharges human connection where it matters most."

24/7 ACCESS FOR UNDERSERVED STUDENTS

Pipeline also addresses a critical equity issue: access. Community college counseling largely operates 9to5, but the students who most need guidance are often working fulltime, juggling childcare, attending evening classes, or living in regions with limited counseling staff.

"We allow 24/7 equitable access to transfer guidance," Maher said. "Firstgeneration students, working adults, and parents need guidance at midnight, at 3 a.m., when their kids are asleep. Pipeline provides a 24/7 platform so every student gets the same clarity that privileged students get from private counselors."

THREE GREAT AIMS

Pipeline boasts its three great aims to achieve California's Vision 2030.

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Increase enrollment through retention.

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Significantly increase transfer rates to UC and CSU

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Increase workforce credential attainment for underrepresented groups

THE LARGEST AUDIT OF AIDRIVEN TRANSFER PATHWAYS

Pipeline is now collaborating with California community colleges on "The Largest Audit of AIDriven Transfer Pathways"-a research initiative measuring AI's impact on transfer outcomes and equity gaps. "We're committed to evidencebased innovation," Maher said. "If AI can help solve this crisis, we need rigorous proof. We'll measure everything and share transparent results that can benefit California for years to come."

If successful, every one of California's 116 community colleges could adopt Pipeline-giving over 2 million students equal access to higher education.

"California deserves better. Our students deserve better," Maher said.

Media Contact
Company Name: Pipeline Technologies, Inc.
Contact Person: Tyler Maher
Email:Send Email [https://www.abnewswire.com/email_contact_us.php?pr=pipeline-ai-supercharges-counselors-doubles-transfers-at-community-colleges]
Phone: 8054440508
Address:4146 Patrice Road
City: Newport Beach
State: CA
Country: United States
Website: https://pipelineplanning.com

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This release was published on openPR.