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Community College Transfer Credit Table Of Contents
Students opt to study at community colleges because they can earn a degree faster and at a lower cost. After earning an Associate Degree, most students want to pursue a four-year degree in a university. In fact, 49% of students who complete their bachelors degree in the country transferred from community colleges .
However, not all those looking for a college credit transfer to universities are successful. Research by Chen shows that only 40% of community college students who want to earn a four-year degree are successful in transferring to a university. This can be attributed to the increasingly complex transfer process followed by different academic institutions.
Demographic factors may also come to play, albeit, inconclusively based on local studies. For one, the article published in Higher Education by Giani 2019 found that students in Hawaii and North Carolina expressed distinct values in terms of credit loss during a community college-to-university transfer. The study noted that: White students had the lowest rate of credit loss at 6.1%, apart from American Indian subgroup that constituted only 0.7% of the sample. Black and Asian students both had credit loss rates greater than 10%, and non-resident alien students lost 12.0% of their credits. Males lost slightly more credits than females , and in contrast to Hawaii, older students in the North Carolina sample lost a higher percentage of credits compared to younger students .
Check Out Your Financial Aid Options
Financial aid plays a huge role in all parts of college, from your first undergraduate school, to your next, to your graduate school, and even beyond.
Thus, we highly recommend talking with financial aid advisors or administrators for those schools you hope to transfer to. Specifically, you should complete the FAFSA and any additional forms your schools request, as these will help them determine how much financial aid they can offer. Additionally, some schools provide net price calculators online for prospective students. These calculators give students an idea of how much aid will be offered.
If you receive your financial aid offer and feel that it is not sufficient, consider appealing for more financial aid. A financial aid appeal will allow you to present more information to the financial aid office. That will offer a better picture of your finances and hopefully offer more aid. Remember that college is a huge investment, and that youre allowed to negotiate.
If your aid is still not quite enough, consider scholarships! Your prospective school likely has some specifically for their students, so we recommend checking online or asking a financial aid advisor. Alternatively, if youre interested in scholarships, we have a great selection at Scholarships360! Check out: scholarships by major, , , and more!
See also:This years FAFSA Guide
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Your Credits Can Transfer In Several Ways:
- General Education courses are courses that a student must take in order to graduate with a degree.
- Major/Minor courses are required by your program of study, and must be taken in order to graduate with a degree in that area.
- Elective courses are applied toward remaining credits necessary to graduate with your degree but do not count toward your major/minor or general education requirements.
Plan to take classes that will meet both general education and major/minor requirements. Transferring too many courses as electives can result in excess credits and delay your progress toward graduation.
If you are unsure about what you wish to major in, focus on taking general education courses. These courses allow you to explore different subject areas. If you are transferring from another CUNY school, they will always fulfill general education requirements when you transfer.
When taking courses outside of your general education requirements, make sure to select classes that are transferable to your future school. Taking too many elective or major courses can be costly if they dont transfer. Use these tools to help you plan.
MAXIMIZE YOUR CREDIT TRANSFER!You can receive credit for advanced level courses taken in high school and for other prior learning, such as certifications and CLEP. Make sure your new college has all the information they need to award you as much credit as possible!
Transferring Coursework From Institutions Outside The Us
Before considering transfer credits from institutions outside the U.S., AACC requires students to have their transcripts reviewed on a course-by-course basis by one of our approved professional transcript evaluation services:
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When Should You Transfer From Community College To University
How long should you attend a community college prior to transferring community college credits to university? And should you go ahead and earn an Associates Degree, or should you transfer earlier?
The truth is it depends upon your goals and your situation. If youre entering a field that prioritizes field experience over theoretical knowledge, such as nursing or information technology, you might spend 2 years at community college then transfer to university. This is also a good strategy if youre positive that your university will accept all of your community college transfer credits. In that instance, you may be able to save a lot of money by knocking out two years of classes at a community college.
However, if you dont think youll be able to transfer many credits, then it might make sense to only take the classes that will transfer at a community college…then move on. The same is true if your future degree program will require you to have taken the bulk of your classes at the university youre graduating from. If thats the case, then you dont want to waste your time taking community college courses that wont help you earn your bachelors degree.
Reason : Feeling Like You Belong
If you struggled academically in high school, or if youre worried that youre not prepared enough for college, you might feel like you dont belong at a four-year institution.
And youre not alone in feeling that way! That feeling is one of the biggest obstacles to success in post-secondary education. According to an article in The Washington Post:
Still other research has shown that beliefs in particular, beliefs about belonging at college can be as important as planning and study skills. Feeling out of place is usually triggered by a setback freshman year: the student fails a test, for example, or feels he doesnt have any close friends. Any student would be discouraged, but a student who is the first in his family to attend college, or is a member of minority stereotyped as not academic may construe the experience as evidence hes not college material.
Thats right, simply feeling like youre college material can be as important as studying. Taking classes at a community college can help you build up your academic confidence before you transfer to a four-year university. Youll be among a group of people who are working hard to improve their skills, and youll be learning under instructors who understand that you have working lives outside of class.
Think of the 2 years at community college then transfer to university plan as practicing before the performance. Your time at community college will prepare you to be successful later on!
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Learn About The Universitys Transfer Acceptance Policy
If you have already earned an associate degree or completed most of your education credits from another institution, you should learn about the transfer acceptance policy of the school that you want to attend to know if their requirements match your credentials. This is essential to find out if the maximum number of credits that you earned are eligible to be transferred to the program that you wish to pursue. Transfer policies between schools vary, and it would help if you would take the time to browse through your desired universitys website for its transfer policy. By understanding what is expected, you can optimize your time and finish your degree faster.
Based on the article of Pearson , community college students lose approximately 40%, or an entire semesters worth of credits, during the transfer process because of the confusion brought about by inefficient transfer policies. This means that the majority of students spend 5.1 years to finish their four-year bachelors degree, while most take 3.4 years to complete a two-year associates degree . As an implication, the more times that you transfer, the longer it will take for you to earn your degree.
Do Community Colleges Charge Out Of State Tuition
Yes, just like most state universities, its common for community colleges to charge higher tuition rates to out-of-state students. Even in-state students who live outside of a community colleges immediate district might pay more to attend there.
Even still, you might find it cheaper to enroll at an out-of-state community college than an in-state four-year university. If you pay attention to how transfer policies can affect your plans, starting at a community college may be a money-saving move.
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How Many Credits To Shift
Moving of the credits may vary from college to university and you can earn as many as in between 30-60 points but you need to gain a minimum of 30 points before you apply to any transfer.
In a few colleges/universities, the SAT score is not mandatory for those who has earned more than 30 credits. For more information about the credit transfer details, check with your administrator.
How Do I Find Out About The Transfer Requirements Of Any Particular School
Information for transfer students is published in the catalog of any institution. The Transfer Counseling Center has an extensive library of catalogs and supplementary material that is sent to us from universities all over the country. Transfer Counseling Center staff is available to assist you in locating and using these resources. In addition, a number of universities send representatives to the annual Transfer Day event that is held in September. Some of those representatives also visit CCSF on a regular basis to meet with students individually.
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What Is A Competitive Gpa For Transfer
Grade point averages necessary to compete for admission to impacted or selective programs vary from year to year, depending on the pool of applicants for any given academic year. Generally, a GPA of 3.0 is considered competitive, though even higher GPAs may be required to gain admission to majors and campuses for which most students apply. A CCSF transfer counselor can tell you whether that is the case for the major or campus of your choice.
Valor Act: Academic Credit Evaluation
In accordance with the Valor Act, CCCC uses the ACE guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experience in the Armed Services as the primary method for evaluating and awarding academic credit for military occupation, training, coursework, and experience. In addition, the College also evaluates DSST Exams, DANTES, Subject Standard Tests and prior learning assessment. For more information please contact the Office of the Registrar or the Veterans Office.
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How Will My Credits Transfer
When you are transferring to a CUNY college, well evaluate previously completed courses to see how your credits will count toward your new degree program. Your courses will transfer if they are found to be equivalent to courses at your new school. For most colleges, youll receive your transfer credit evaluation after accepting your offer of admission. If youre transferring from one CUNY college to another, use these tools to see how your credits will transfer.
START EARLY!If youre considering transfer, speak with your academic advisor and take courses that are more likely to transfer with you.
Research Your Target School
Before you start the transfer process, you need to know which university youre trying to transfer into. Because the transfer requirements vary from school to school, knowing what criteria you need to meet ahead of time will improve your chances of successfully transferring in.
The good news is that universities post transfer requirements on their admissions websites. Searching for these criteria and using them as a map as you plan out your community college coursework will be a huge help for you in the long run.
And if youre still not sure which university you want to go to, thats okay! Researching transfer requirements at all of your potential colleges will help you narrow down the field. For example, say youre thinking about applying to two universities, one of which is in state and the other which is out of state. You may learn that the transfer criteria for the in-state school is much easier to meet…which could sway your decision!
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How Does College Transfer Work
When you transfer from a two-year college to a four-year college, your new school will review your transcripts and will request copies of syllabi for the various courses. After reviewing this information, the admissions team will determine how many credits to count toward your baccalaureate degree.
Most courses are worth 3 credits. Therefore, if you have 10 courses transferred, that equates to 30 credits that you would not have to take again. So, for the typical 120 credit bachelors degree, you would end up needing 90 credits to graduate.
To summarize, here is what you have to gain by transferring as many credits as possible:
- If the majority of your credits transferred from a two-year program, you will start at the four-year school as a third-year student .
- Even if you spent two years at a community college, when you get a bachelors degree, it only lists the four-year university.
Credentials & Professional Licenses
Students must contact the Office of the Registrar to verify if a credential or professional license is acceptable as a course equivalency for transfer credit. The credential or professional licenses must be directly related to a course within the student’s degree or certificate. A copy of the credential or license is required for documentation.
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Transferring Coursework From Other Us Colleges
Keep in mind that credits from other colleges dont automatically transfer to AACC. Our Records and Registration team reviews every course and credit individually to determine which count as AACC credit. Check out our Transfer Credit Equivalency Database that shows how courses from other institutions may transfer to AACC. Knowing which may transfer will help you understand our final decisions about transfer credit.
Assemble Your Documents And Apply
Once youve picked your university and met with your transfer counselor, its time to start your college application. Youll still have to apply for admission like all new students, though the university might have a separate, slightly different transfer student application for you to fill out.
Youll probably have to submit additional documents like an admissions essay, a copy of your transcript, and letters of recommendation as part of your transfer student admission packet. Do your research and find out exactly what you need, especially since some of these things–like official transcripts–arent something you can get ahold of at the last minute. And if youre still confused, contact an admissions counselor for more information. Theyre here to help you.
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Why Should You Transfer From Community College To A University Top 3 Reasons
There is no one-size-fits-all strategy for everyone. For some students, going straight to a four-year college might not be the best decision for their future success. And the truth is that you can still earn a bachelors degree and have a great career if you start your education at a community college!
Generally speaking, there are three major reasons you might want to start at a community college and transfer into a four-year university: lower costs, more flexibility, and the opportunity to adjust to the college lifestyle. Well talk more about these reasons below.
If A Student Has To Take Classes As A Transfer Student While Enrolled At A Home Institution Will They Be Covered
Transient students are students who are already attending a different university or college. They may need to take one class or more that will transfer back to their home university or college so they can complete the degree requirements of their home institution. If their home institution has signed an articulation agreement with the receiving university, then the class credits they take should transfer, as long as they earn the minimum required grade.
This process is known as cross-enrollment in some states. The process is initiated when the student fills int a Transient Form. The form allows the student to request approval for the courses taken as cross-enrollment. Once the form is filled, it is sent within three business days to the students college advisors office and the Office of the Registrar.
The student fills out this form if they plan to take the courses at an out-of-state or private university. If the courses the student wants to take at a different university are available at their home university, their request will only be approved under highly unusual circumstances. These rules may change based on what college or university you are attending. Make sure to check with your school if you are looking to take classes at another school nearby.
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