Transferring to Another College: “Will My Credits Transfer?” is Not the Only Question to Ask
I work in enrollment management at a university, and since I attend many of our enrollment events, I frequently encounter students seeking to transfer in credits, as they begin their studies at our institution.? I also get lots of questions from parents of new, first-time freshmen asking about how to transfer in credit from college-in-the-high-school or dual enrollment.? The most common question, by far is, “Will my credits transfer?” but in reality that is not the key question folks should be asking.
At most post-secondary institutions, credits are broken down into three general categories and these categories can be called different things at different schools, so I will use general terms here:
For institutions on a regular semester calendar, students need to earn at least 120 credits in order to graduate.? The functional words in the previous sentence are “at least”.? The question about moving to a transfer university is not simply “Will my credits transfer”, because more than 90% of the time, the answer is “yes”, but instead “How will my credits transfer?”? Transfer students need to deeply understand the manner in which their credits transfer (i.e., which will count toward general education, which toward their major and which toward electives).? Knowing the answer to the “how” question provides the student with a much better picture of how soon they can complete their degree program at the transfer institution.
Let’s use the institution that I work at as an example:? our general studies program includes 42-43 credits depending.? Our many academic majors can range from 45 credits to around 80 credits, and so elective credits can also vary from 0 to 32.? As a result, the larger the major, the fewer electives a student will need to graduate, that is if they would like to graduate in a reasonable amount of time.
So, for example, let's say that a student wants to transfer in 24 credits, and 18 of those credits count toward elective credit (which can happen especially if the transfer student intends to study in a different major from their original school). Let's also assume that the student goes into a new major that requires a large number (e.g. 80) of major credits and zero electives. In this case, the credits still transfer as electives, however, the student does not technically need electives because of their sizable major, so in reality, while all 24 credits might transfer, only the 6, non-elective credits are applied to the 120 credits needed - in this case - in their general studies + major. So, if this student stays on track, they will graduate with around 138 credits (120 required credits, plus the 18 credits that were accepted as elective). If the student transfers into a similar major from their first institution, there is a better chance that more credits will count toward their major.
Not only are different numbers of credits required in each of the three credit categories, but different types of course credit are required in each as well, and there is not always a guarantee that a course at one school – even with the same name – necessarily counts for a course at the transfer school.? This is not just semantics and being difficult, as some might choose to believe.? For example, an elementary statistics course at one school might be a 3-credit course (three hours per week in the class) and a 4-credit course (four hours per week in the class) at another school.? The difference typically is that at the latter school, there is often an hour of applied statistics laboratory where students spend time in a computer lab learning to use statistical software packages like Minitab, SPSS or other tools.? So even if the courses have the same name, the teaching and learning is not the same in a case like this, and at some schools, the student may be asked to take stats at the transfer school, to have the same level of applied know-how, especially if those statistical software packages are going to be important in later courses.
Advice for transfers
If you are starting at another school: ?If a student knows that they are going to transfer to another school but wants to start at a community college, or another four-year school before transferring, they absolutely should consult the future transfer four-year school before taking courses. This will assure both the “if” and the “how” questions.?
If you just want to take some credits at a local community college or four-year school over the summer: Any student planning on being transient (e.g. a student who wants to take a couple of courses over the summer at a local community college), absolutely needs to check with their own institution before doing this. Note that many schools will not allow students to transfer in credits if they are in their last 30 credits of study at their institution.
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Ask about articulation agreements:? Students starting at community colleges should ask about articulation agreements with four-year schools.? Many community colleges and technical schools have contractual arrangements with four-year schools in their region to assure the easy flow of credits from one institution to the next.? If a student is studying under an articulated program at a community college, both questions: “Do my credits transfer?” and “How do my credits transfer?” have already been contractually decided between the schools.
Do not transfer to a new school at the last minute: ?In my experience in working with students who struggle academically, I can tell you that “late transfers” are among the populations that I often see struggle the most.?If a student decides to transfer to a new school, they should begin that process very early; as early as the middle of the previous term at their original institution. I have noted that students who waffle on whether or not to transfer, burning up an entire winter or summer break, are often not prioritizing their college experience, or managing their time well.?This is an important decision that should neither be hasty or last minute. Late transferring is problematic for a few reasons: there is little or no time to accurately account for the transfer credits and determine what the student truly still needs to take; there is little time to sit down with the student to build a schedule, and equally important, late transfers usually have very little choice of course seats because everyone else at the university has already filled the seats that they often need.? Potential late transfers should heed my advice and just wait until the next term to restart their studies at the transfer school.? Late transfers can also struggle with belonging, and accessing services, because their late admission did not afford them the chance to attend orientation programming, campus tours or acclimate themselves to the campus.
In all cases, if students want to transfer in credits, they need to connect with their original school(s) and have an ‘official transcript’ (not a copy or unofficial transcript) sent directly from their records/registrar office, to the new/transfer school.? So, yes, students will generally find that most of their credits do transfer as long as the student is transferring from a regionally accredited institution (most non-profit and state schools are accredited within their region – be careful about trying to transfer credits from smaller, for-profit technical or business schools as some of these schools are not regionally accredited – it is 100% up to the receiving school to decide if and how credits will transfer).?
The more important question is the “how” question.? Students need to be good consumers of higher education and listen carefully as to what they might still need to take, and when those courses are going to be offered (not all courses are offered every semester at every school).? Today, many institutions have a degree audit system that students can use to see what they have left to take, once their transfer credits are brought into the new school.? Oh yeah, and one more thing, remember that only credits transfer into a new school and not the quality points or GPA.? When a student transfers, their transfer grades and credits will show up on their new transcript, but their GPA at their new school will not be calculated from their transfer credits, so they will be starting at the new school with a 0.00 GPA.
Students! Transfer early, and know your credits.? When in doubt, ask lots of questions!
It’s your future!? Take charge!
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