Will Transferring Credits Impact your Graduation Date?
Plans change sometimes. Your school might, too.
But transferring to a new institution doesn’t mean you have to extend your graduation timeline — or your budget.
If you’re looking to complete your education as quickly as possible, it’s important to know how many credits will follow you to your new program. Let’s explore what it takes for a credit to transfer, and what that means for your unique situation.
How do transfer credits work?
A transfer credit refers to a completed college course that is accepted at a different school. What makes a credit eligible to transfer? It depends on several factors. First, your previous institution must be accredited. That way your new school knows the education you received was up to standard. You also need adequate grades in the course. Typically, earning a C or above is transferrable to most schools.
Applicable coursework varies. Schools often accept credits similar to their own courses. Programs with courses unique to a school are the kind of credits that won’t transfer well. Sometimes, certain courses will fulfill different requirements after transferring; everything depends on how your new school interprets your transcript.
Your GPA does not travel from school to school. And for some, this is a potential perk of transferring! Applicable transfer credits will appear on your transcript as fulfilling requirements, but they won’t be given a grade designation. This way you can have a fresh start at your new college.
What does that mean for me?
There are plenty of reasons someone might transfer college credit from one place to another. We’re here to cover all the nuances that come with each kind of change, and what that means for your transfer process.
Did you earn college credit in high school?
Transferring college credits earned in high school works differently depending on how you earned them. AP credits transfer to almost every college by sending score reports through the AP score website. Dual enrollment credits work exactly the same as undergraduate transfer credits. When you send the official transcripts to your institution of choice, your transcripts will be reported under whatever college you took dual enrollment through. These credits will transfer to any school willing to accept your dual enrollment institution’s courses.
Transferring midway through undergrad
If you’re planning to transfer schools partway through your degree, keep in mind how late you transfer. Schools want students to complete at least half their coursework at their institution before awarding them a degree. That means most colleges will cap transfer credits somewhere between 60-90 credits, no matter how many you’ve completed are applicable. If you want to graduate on time, it’s best to transfer before you reach this cap.
Returning to complete a degree
Going back to school can feel like an uphill battle, but with transfer credits you don’t have to start at the beginning. Transfer credits allow you to start where you left off in your degree completion timeline. It’s important to remember that after a certain period of time courses lose their value and may not transfer. This is especially true of courses that contain outdated material like computer science. If you’re concerned about the validity of your credits, you can reach out to your new institution’s registrar to learn about the specific policy.
Online credits
The transfer process for online college credits is determined by the online institution you choose. Check your online learning website for instructions on how to receive your transcripts. A sure-fire way to find out if your credits will transfer is by reaching out to your new school and seeing if it accepts courses from your online institution.
At Portage Learning, we partner with Geneva College, which is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. All credits from Portage Learning appear on Geneva College transcripts, and those credits transfer to 2,000+ schools across the nation.
Need to make up credits?
If you’re returning to school and some of your credits have lost their validity, or if you need to make up for credits that didn’t transfer, consider taking courses online! Online courses allow you to catch up on your terms and set you up to graduate sooner. Portage Learning offers a variety of self-directed, online courses accessible to you anytime, from anywhere. Explore our courses today to see what’s right for you!
