Help I Want to Transfer!

Transferring from one university or college to another is very common. Statistics show that more than 35% of the college students transfer at least once during their undergraduate career.

Transferring may be a great idea under certain circumstances. It you are contemplating a transfer keep the following factors in mind:

(1) Institutions (colleges or universities) are highly independent from each other, and
(2) The number of credits you have already completed should inform the transfer decision.

(1) Institutions (colleges or universities) are highly independent from each other. Therefore,

  • It can be difficult to transfer credits between states. Say you go a university in Georgia, and would like to transfer to New Jersey. Transferring credits from your institution in GA to one in NJ can pose significant difficulties. This happens because institutions operate under different regulatory requirements. In short, transferring credits across state lines tends to be difficult.

Policy makers recognized this limitation and set up the Interstate Passport that facilitates credit transfer across state lines. Check to see if your home and destination institution are part of this initiative, and if so the transfer should be quite smooth.

  • It can be difficult to transfer credits from a private university to a public one. Public institutions (colleges or universities) tend to be very specific in regards to the credits they accept from other universities. They are more likely to accept credits from other public colleges or universities, in the same state, because of state rules. In other words, public institutions are required by regulators to accept credits from other public institutions from the same state. However, not all states impose these regulations on their public institutions.

All in all, public and private universities have full autonomy on what and how many credits they allow to be transferred in.

If you find yourself needing to transfer credits cross state lines or from a private to a public institution, don’t lose hope, you may still be able to do it, but will need to contact the transfer reps at the destination institution. The sooner you start the process the better.  

(2) The transfer decision should be informed by the number of credits that you already completed. Transfer may entail loss of credits for courses that you already completed.

So here are a few scenarios to consider:

  • If you completed less than 40 credits a transfer may be a good idea.

You may lose some credits, but the loss is unlikely to be that great. Contact the transfer rep at the future university to provide more details on the process. The Admissions office is a good place to start; many Admission offices have someone designated to deal with transfer students. They will guide you through the transfer process.

At the destination university, either the Registrar or the department associated with your academic program will decide the courses and credits they will accept. You’ll probably be asked to provide a copy of the syllabus for all the courses that you’d like to transfer into the new university/college.

In essence, the transfer process involves the new university picking and choosing which credits they think are appropriate to transfer.

So, if you are contemplating a transfer this may be a good time to do it.

  • If you completed between 40 and 60 credits then things change a bit.
    • If you are attending a community college hold off on the transfer until you complete the Associate of Arts (AA) degree.
    • If you are attending a university check to see if it would allow you to complete an AA degree. Talk to your adviser at the university/home institution about the possibility of getting an AA degree. Securing a degree will ease your transfer – ensuring that almost all, if not all, credits will transfer to the new institution.

Most universities do not advertise the fact that they offer Associate degrees – because their mission centers on offering baccalaureate degrees. But some universities do grant an Associate degree upon request. You need to talk to your adviser at your home institution to find out if it would grant the Associate degree to you, upon request. If they do you are in luck.

It is important to know that it is easier to transfer all 60 credits packaged under the AA degree into the next institution than to just trying to transfer individual courses and credits. But, also keep in mind that there are no guarantees that all credits will transfer.

Therefore, if your home institution will confer an AA degree, my recommendation is that you complete the 60 credits at the home institution. Once you get the AA and the new institution is more likely to accept it in full and for you to start at the new institution as a Junior rather than as a Sophomore.  

  • If your university does not grant an AA degree upon completing 60 credits, then this may be a good time to transfer. However, you may lose some credits during transfer.
  • If you completed more than 60 but less than 90 credits.

Some universities do not allow students to transfer in more than 60 credits. In other words, even if you completed 75 credits, the destination university will probably only accept only a maximum of 60. Therefore, you will likely lose the 15 credits and will have to pay for 15 additional ones. This will likely delay your graduation for at least one extra semester.

  • If you completed 90 credits or more – don’t transfer.

Even under the greatest circumstances, the destination university will not accept more than 90 credits. The main reason for this has to do with accreditors’ requirements. If you live in the Southeast region of the USA, universities from this region have mandates that require students to complete the last 25% of the degree (30 credits) at the university that awards the degree.

Overall, if you are planning on transferring schools the most important aspects to keep in mind are:

  • Institutions (college or universities) have full flexibility on deciding which credits to accept through the transfer.
  • The transfer decision should be informed by the number of credits that you already completed.
  • Contact the destination institution as soon as you know you want to transfer.    
  • Transfer may delay graduation and entrance into the job market.