How to Transfer College Credits to Your New School

If you’re enrolling in a new degree program but have credits from a previous college or university, you’ll need to follow a few steps to make sure your credits transfer.

Step one: talk to a counselor at your current/previous school

Counselors can guide you through the credit transfer process. They can also help with any tasks that need to be completed. This will include informing your current school that you plan to transfer. You’ll have to review an articulation agreement (an official guarantee that classes completed at one school will be accepted when a student transfers to another school) to understand how to do so.

Note: some colleges have existing articulation agreements with partnering schools. By law, your current college must provide you with a list of those partner schools, if there are any. 

Step two: talk with a counselor at your new school

After you get information on which classes will transfer, you should discuss your options with an admissions counselor at your new school. They can help ensure that all the courses you want to transfer will indeed do so.

They can also explain specific criteria. For example, some schools stipulate that the only courses that will transfer are those in which a student earned a grade of C (a 2.0 on a 4.0 scale) or higher. By explaining the rules for transferring credit, your counselor can clear up any questions about eligibility and the process in general.

Step three: apply and send transcripts to your new college

You should verify whether your new school has special application deadlines for transfer students. In general, it’s helpful to apply early to any college or university. During the application process, you should also reach out to the registrar’s office at your current/former college and supply them with the address for sending your transcripts. Note that you may have to pay a fee for getting copies of your transcripts.

In conclusion: start early and get more information

Regardless of where you are in terms of transferring to your new school, it’s important to start the process early. Reach out to your counselor at your former school as well as a counselor at your new school. These professionals can also guide you to make sure you’ve completed all paperwork and requests on time.

If you have access to tuition assistance or financial support through your employer, it can greatly help you as you pursue education at your new school. Some platforms, like Workforce Edge, allow companies to offer a variety of education options to employees and manage education benefits in a centralized place, including transferring credits. To learn more about this, encourage your HR or benefits team to reach out to us here.