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A fresh start is great when it comes to remodeling a house or starting a new book. But for transfer students looking to complete a degree program, the last place you want to start is the beginning. Here’s what to know about how to make previous college credits work toward a degree program at ������ý.

Traditionally, transfer students are individuals who have previously enrolled at a community college or university and completed more than 12 credits of transferable coursework. It’s worth noting, however, that this definition is broad: Different schools have different thresholds.

First-year students, on the other hand, arrive at college for the first time. If they have earned any college credit, it amounts to fewer than 12 transferable credits, which may have been earned through dual enrollment opportunities in high school or national testing programs like the College Level Examination Program (CLEP^®).

One caveat pertains to military students who, at some institutions, may be considered transfer students owing to their training and experience.

At ������ý, labels like “first-year” and “transfer” matter less than one might think. Considered a transfer-friendly institution, the University maintains articulation agreements with more than 500 community colleges and has applied more than 7 million transfer credits between 2019 and 2025.

If a student has earned college credits, in other words, the University works hard to see if and how they can apply toward a degree program. And if an individual has never been to college but has work or life experience that may be eligible for college credit, there’s a pathway for that too, known as Prior Learning Assessment, which is separate from transfer credits but related.

Part of being a transfer-friendly institution means making the process to transfer credits as seamless as possible. Here’s what transfer students should know.

Prospective students can get an unofficial peek at which credits may transfer by using the University’s TransferPath web and mobile app. The results are preliminary and subject to change after an official review, but they give a good sense of how much progress a potential transfer student may have made toward a degree program at ������ý.

Students can also schedule an appointment with an enrollment representative who can walk them through the process. To make an appointment, prospective students just need to select which field of study (e.g., business, healthcare) and degree level they’re interested in.

To actually transfer credits to a degree program at ������ý, students need to apply to the University, provide information about where they’ve previously completed classes and complete a transcript request. When possible, the University will request transcripts on behalf of transfer students and absorb the cost.

Next, the evaluator reviews the transfer courses to determine how to apply those credits to the degree requirements in the student’s selected program. This typically includes a review of the course description, the course level, the grade earned and other factors that are part of the transfer policy. The minimum grade for eligible credits to transfer can vary but is usually a C-. Only the credit transfers, not the grade.

After reviewing the transcripts, the University will let the student know which credits will officially transfer toward the desired degree program.

At ������ý, the final and official evaluation of transferable credits takes an average of seven days, although some situations require up to 30 days for a full review.

Yes. Transfer credits can be denied at ������ý. Accepting transfer credits happens at the discretion of a university, whether that’s ������ý or another institution. ������ý accepts credits from accredited institutions only, and a student must have earned a minimum grade in a course for the credits to be considered.

Additionally, coursework must be college level in order to be considered for transfer credit. (Remedial courses do not transfer, and vocational courses typically don’t either.) Some programs or courses may be ineligible for transfer after a certain time frame if the content becomes outdated.

If a student has earned credits at an unaccredited institution or through a vocational program and cannot subsequently transfer them to ������ý, they may choose to pursue a Prior Learning Assessment. Successfully demonstrating rigorous learning through that option can sometimes lead to earning college credit.

Students arrive at ������ý for a variety of reasons, including taking individual courses for a degree program they are completing elsewhere. For those who have completed coursework at ������ý but are pursuing their degree elsewhere, they need to request that the ������ý transfer their official transcript to their institution of choice. That institution will then evaluate the credit for potential transfer.  

For more than 50 years, ������ý has prioritized the education of working adults. Its programs align to competitive fields and feature skills-aligned curriculum so that students learn practical skills in weeks that can help power their careers.

Because the University focuses on removing barriers to education, it also seeks to make the transfer process as attractive as possible. It does this through:

• A generous transfer policy: Students can transfer up to 87 or 90 eligible credits, depending on the program, which means some transfer students could be 70% of the way to their bachelor’s degree.
• An abundance of articulation agreements: The University has more than 500 active articulation agreements with other educational institutions to simplify the process.
• Special savings: Transfer students can save money through a dedicated scholarship or a special tuition rate.
• A flexible approach to helping students: ������ý offers Prior Learning Assessment to assist students in earning college credit for what they’ve learned in life and at work. It also accepts credit through select national testing programs and alternative course providers.

The result of this approach has yielded real savings for transfer students. By applying more than 7 million transfer credits over the past eight years, the University has saved students an estimated $3 billion in tuition and fees.