You’ve worked hard, poured energy into your courses, and are thinking of your next move. What if your dream career requires a change of major? What if you’d like to attend a new school? Will your credits transfer to the new college?
Transferring your college credits can help make your career and academic dreams come true and save you time and money. But navigating the process will take some planning and research. You’ve got this!
What Is Credit Transfer?
Credit transfer is how you can apply previously earned college credits toward your new degree program. While many credits will transfer between institutions, not all courses are a one-for-one match between schools. Therefore, it’s important to plan ahead whenever possible.
Why Transfer Credits?
There are many reasons why you may want to transfer credits, including:
Institution Change: You may transfer credits when switching colleges for academic programs, location preferences, or personal circumstances.- Major Change: You can change your major and use transfer credits to apply relevant coursework toward your new degree program, saving time and effort.
- Location: Transferring credits allows you to continue your education at a new institution without starting from scratch.
- Cost Considerations: Transfer credits from affordable institutions or programs like Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) to reduce college costs.
- Graduation Timing: Transferring credits earned at dual enrollment programs, summer courses, or community college classes can help you graduate faster.
- Exploring: You can take courses outside your major to explore new subjects, even if they’re unrelated to your degree.
And there are clear benefits to using any of the credits you’ve earned in the past for your new pursuit. Such as:
- Time Efficiency: Transferring credits allows you to skip redundant coursework. You won’t need to retake a course at your new institution if you’ve already completed it or if the coursework is similar to your new school’s.
- Cost Savings: Transferring credits keeps you from paying tuition for education you’ve already completed. Which can significantly reduce your overall educational expenses.
How Does Credit Transfer Work?
The specifics of credit transfer vary among institutions, but here are the steps to follow and critical points to consider.
1. Research Transfer Policies
Start by researching the transfer policies at your future school. Most colleges impose a cap on transfer credits, which may vary by department. Look for information on the school’s admissions website. Learn what you can ahead of time.
2. Contact the Transfer Institution
Once you’ve found all you can and you have a plan for which institution you’d like to transfer to and your major field of study, it’s time to contact them. Reach out to the admissions or transfer office. They can provide specific information about their transfer credit policies, application requirements, specific information related to your major, and deadlines.
3. Request Transcripts
Request official transcripts from your current college or university to be sent directly to the transfer institution. These transcripts will document the courses you’ve completed and the grades you’ve earned.
4. Review Course Equivalencies
The transfer institution will evaluate your transcripts to determine which courses are eligible for transfer credit. They may have programs for course equivalencies or transfer agreements with other institutions to streamline this process.
5. Submit Additional Documentation
Depending on the transfer institution’s requirements, you may need additional documentation, such as course syllabi, descriptions, or portfolios, to support your transfer credits.
6. Meet with an Advisor
Schedule a meeting with an academic advisor at the transfer institution to talk about your transfer credits and academic goals. They can help you understand how your transferred credits fit into your new degree program and assist with creating a course plan.
7. Follow-Up
Stay in communication with the transfer institution throughout the process. Follow up on the status of your transfer credit evaluation and address any questions or concerns.
8. Acceptance and Enrollment
Once your transfer credits have been evaluated and accepted, you’ll receive notification from the transfer institution. Complete any remaining enrollment steps to transition to your new college or university officially.
And continue on your education journey!
Tips for a Successful Credit Transfer
The process for transferring college credits is established, and institutions are well-suited to help you. But there are a few ways to help you get the most out of the credits you’ve already earned.
Plan Ahead
Before transferring, map out your academic path. Understand if transfer policies are in place between local institutions that can help you utilize your credits. Often, agreements between 2-year colleges and universities sharing a geographic region make it easier to complete your education.
Are you transferring schools but keeping the same major or department? Many of your credits will transfer, however curricula will vary slightly from school to school, so it will be important to understand the courses you’ve already taken and how they translate to your new curricula.
Qualities Considered to Transfer
Not all credits from all schools are created equal, depending on the institution you’re transferring into and your intended major. But, you can increase your chances of a successful transfer by considering these qualities that make a credit transferrable.
- Accreditation: Ensure that the institution where you earned the credits is accredited.
- Course Grade: Your performance in the course matters.
- Time Since Completion: Some schools have time limits on credit transfer.
- Course Equivalency: Compare the coursework to your desired school’s offerings.
Communicate with Advisors
Consult academic advisors at both your current and future institutions. They can guide you through the transfer process.
If you completed coursework many years ago and are planning to go back to school soon, academic advisors at both institutions can be very helpful in tracking down records and past syllabi and guiding you through the process. Courses and curricula change over time, so additional research may be required to transfer credits earned years in the past.
Keep Records
Maintain records of your completed courses, syllabi, and transcripts. These documents will be useful during the credit evaluation process. If credits don’t transfer to your new school, but you feel you’ve learned the content already, you can use the syllabi and coursework you’ve saved to argue your case to have the credit successfully transferred.
Pay particular attention to how credits from general education courses transfer. If possible, avoid repeating these courses to save time, effort, and cost.
College credit transfer can be a burdensome process, but it’s ultimately worth it if it helps you meet your academic and career aspirations. Follow this guide and work with the academic advisors at your institution to ease the path. If you’re interested in transferring schools but are still searching, check out our FREE College Match tool. You can search for schools based on location, major, culture, and more! Or find the best schools based on your goals with our latest College Rankings!
