What is Transfer Credit?

Transfer credit is the measurement of comparable prior learning (courses, experiential or examinations) versus the current offerings of a college or university by assessing the currency and applicability of the credit petition and claims. Transfer credits can convey attendance across more than one institution, so the sources of transfer credit are annotated per course. Usually, a student would have to petition for transfer credit, except where there are transfer articulation agreements outlining the acceptance of credit based upon dual enrollment or other forms of collaboration between education providers. In a nutshell, Transfer Credit is the acceptance of prior learning represented in course units or credits applied and articulated (denoted) on a student's academic transcript. Transfer courses are generally not counted into the GPA of the attending institution. However, they may be recorded to show the level of performance in the course transferred, as well as other attributes such as when the course was taken.
 
College transfer refers to the movement of students from one college, university or school to another. It is the process by which transfer credits representing educational experiences, courses, degrees or credentials are accepted or not accepted by a receiving institution. Acceptance of transfer credit is determined by the receiving institution's transfer policy. When the college or university determines whether and how much credit to apply to your individual degree plan, that credit will then appear on your official academic transcript of the institution. Typically grades are not included with the transfer process, so they are not factored in as part of the grade point average (GPA).
 
Transfer credit generally covers formal course work. Credit by examinations, experiential learning credits and external training credits are all treated like transfer credits. Not all courses count as transfer credit. For instance, CEU's or what is known as Continuing Education Units and Remedial Course credits are not generally counted as transfer credit. Check to make sure the courses you are considering for transfer are eligible for transfer credit.
 

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This article was written by AcademyOne's CEO and Founder David K. Moldoff who has worked in higher education for over thirty five years. Mr. Moldoff has been developing student centered enrollment systems since the 70's spanning multiple institutions, policies and practices. Mr. Moldoff graduated from Drexel University through the cooperative education program and majored in economics with a minor in marketing.

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