Transferring Community College Credits: A Quick Guide

Let’s face it – seats at four-year colleges and universities are in short supply. Added to this, the cost of tuition is now more expensive than ever before in the history of formal education in the United States.

Thankfully, for students wishing to go for higher studies, there is light at the end of the tunnel — community colleges.

Community colleges are an integral part of higher education in the United States. Firstly, it prepares the young population for the workplace by enriching their vocational skills. This makes such colleges critical to the functioning of the economy.

Secondly, they offer millions of students the opportunity to opt for higher education without having to break their banks. Students can transfer to a four-year college or a university after completing their general education requirements at a community college for the first two years.

But wait, there is a problem that comes with this. Did you know that up to 40% of transfer students end up having to forego a significant amount of credits when they make the big switch?

This does not happen because of abysmal coursework; the reason behind this is usually that the student hasn’t acquired the credits that are actually required.

What Does This Mean?

Just completing your coursework at a community college isn’t enough. To be eligible for a credits transfer, you will have to choose the right coursework for yourself at the community college.

As a transfer student, one of your primary goals will be to ensure that you’re able to carry over as many credits as possible to the four-year college or university of your preference. This will not only make the transfer process easier, but it will also ensure that you earn your bachelor’s degree on time.

To have the right credits at the end of the first two years, it’s essential that you start planning from the time you enroll at the community college itself.

An academic advising scheduling software and planner can be a valuable resource during degree planning as it will help you to visualizer and build a degree plan from scratch and keep a track of it across semesters. In addition to this, you will also be able to forward your data to multiple schools at a time to know whether you are eligible for a transfer.

Transfers can be daunting. We are here to make the process a tad bit easier with two critical tips from academic experts:

1. Have your end goal in mind. If you know that you’re going to transfer, note down the admission criteria and transfer requirements of the college and course you’re interested in.
   
   Make sure that you choose coursework and classes depending on the stipulated requirements. This may involve opting for specific general education classes, lower division electives as well as courses that underline the basics of the subject you’d want to major in.
   
   
2. Talk to your academic counselor. Let them know your academic goals as well as your intention to transfer in the first semester of community college itself.
   
   With their help, you’ll be able to draft a great curriculum that might just help you to gain acceptance into the college of your dreams! They will also have information about transfer agreements, college transfer policies, and more. Leverage their expertise and knowledge to ensure that you’re able to take the most possible amount of credits to the new institution with you.
   
   
3. Fight for your credits! See our article on how to maximize your transfer credits, and keep the end in mind.