What a credit transfer is and when you need one

A credit transfer is the process of moving academic credits you earned at one school toward a degree at another school. You do this when you change schools, want to finish a degree at a different institution, or need credits from a previous enrollment to count toward your current program. The receiving school reviews your transcript, decides which credits it will accept, and tells you how many count toward your new degree.

Credit transfers happen most often when you move from a community college to a four-year university, switch universities, or return to school after time away. The decision about which credits transfer is made by the receiving school's registrar or admissions office, not by you or your previous school. Different schools have different rules about what they will accept, so the same credits might transfer fully at one university and partially or not at all at another.

Key Takeaways

  • The school you are transferring to decides which of your credits it will accept, based on its own transfer policies and degree requirements.
  • You will need an official transcript from your previous school, sent directly to the receiving school's registrar office.
  • Credits that transfer may not count toward the same requirement at your new school — a general education credit at one school might not meet general education at another.
  • Some schools have may provide transfer agreements with community colleges that spell out exactly which credits will transfer and how they count.
  • The transfer evaluation process usually takes two to four weeks after the receiving school gets your official transcript.

How to request your transcript and start the transfer process

Contact the registrar's office at the school you attended and request an official transcript. You will need to provide your full name, student ID number if you have one, and the dates you attended. Ask the registrar to send the transcript directly to the registrar's office at your new school — do not request it sent to you, because most schools will not evaluate unofficial copies.

At the same time, contact the admissions or registrar office at the school you are transferring to and tell them you are sending transcripts from a previous institution. Ask them for the name and mailing address of the person or department that handles transfer credit evaluation. Some schools have an online form you fill out to notify them that transcripts are coming; others just need the transcript to arrive in their office.

Keep a record of when you requested your transcript and which school you asked to send it to. If you do not hear back within three weeks, contact the receiving school's registrar to confirm they received it. Transcripts can get lost in mail or email, and following up prevents delays in your enrollment.

What happens when the receiving school reviews your credits

Once the receiving school's registrar has your official transcript, they will compare each course you took to their course catalog and degree requirements. They look at the course title, description, number of credits, grade you received, and how recently you took it. Courses that are very similar to courses at the new school usually transfer with full credit. Courses that do not match anything in their catalog may transfer as elective credit, transfer with reduced credit, or not transfer at all.

The school will send you a written evaluation — sometimes called a transfer credit evaluation or transcript evaluation — that lists each course and whether it transferred. The evaluation will show how many credits transferred, which degree requirements they satisfy, and which requirements you still need to complete. This document is important to keep, because you may need it later if you transfer again or if there is a question about your credits.

Some schools will not give you a final evaluation until you have been admitted and enrolled. Others provide a preliminary evaluation during the admissions process so you know what to expect. If you are deciding between schools, ask each one whether they can give you a preliminary transfer evaluation before you commit.

may provide transfer agreements and articulation agreements

Many states have may provide transfer agreements between community colleges and public universities. These agreements spell out exactly which community college courses will transfer and how they count toward a bachelor's degree. If your community college and receiving university have a may provide transfer agreement, you know in advance which of your credits will transfer and what degree requirement each one satisfies.

Some agreements are statewide — for example, Florida's Articulation Agreement covers all public community colleges and universities in the state. Others are between specific schools. To find out whether an agreement exists between your schools, contact the transfer center at your community college or search your state's higher education website for "articulation agreement" or "transfer agreement."

If a may provide agreement exists, your credits should transfer automatically once the receiving school gets your transcript. If no agreement exists, the transfer evaluation is done on a course-by-course basis and may take longer. Even with a may provide agreement, you should still request an official evaluation to confirm how your specific credits were processed.

When credits do not transfer or transfer with restrictions

A course might not transfer if it is too old — many schools will not accept credits more than five to ten years old, especially in fields where knowledge changes quickly like technology or nursing. A course might also not transfer if the grade was too low; some schools require a C or better to transfer, while others require a B. Check your new school's policy on minimum grades before you assume all your credits will transfer.

Some credits transfer as elective credit rather than counting toward a specific requirement. This means the credits count toward your total degree but do not satisfy a particular class or general education requirement. You may still need to take another course to meet that requirement at your new school. Ask the registrar whether you can appeal a transfer decision if you believe a course should have counted toward a specific requirement.

If you took a course at a school that is not accredited, or if you took it through a non-traditional program, the receiving school may not transfer it at all. Before you enroll in a course at any school, especially an online or for-profit school, check whether credits from that school transfer to the university where you plan to finish your degree.

How to appeal a transfer decision if you disagree

If the receiving school's evaluation says a course did not transfer or transferred with fewer credits than you expected, you can request that the decision be reviewed. Contact the registrar or the department that teaches the equivalent course at your new school and ask what the appeal process is. Some schools have a formal appeal form; others ask you to write a letter explaining why you believe the course should transfer.

In your appeal, provide the course syllabus, course description, and textbook information from your previous school if you have them. Explain how the course content matches the course at the new school or how it relates to your degree. The department chair or registrar will review your materials and decide whether to overturn the original decision. This process usually takes two to four weeks.

Appeals do not always succeed, especially if the course content is genuinely different or if the grade was below the school's minimum. But it is worth asking, because sometimes the initial evaluation was made by someone who was not familiar with the course or the program.

What to do if you are transferring between schools with no agreement

If you are transferring between schools that do not have a may provide transfer agreement, the process takes longer and the outcome is less certain. Start by asking the receiving school whether they have a transfer guide or course equivalency list that shows which courses from your previous school have transferred in the past. Many schools publish this information online or can email it to you.

If no guide exists, ask to speak with an academic advisor at the receiving school before you transfer. Bring your transcript and course syllabi, and ask the advisor which of your courses are likely to transfer and how they will count. This conversation will not may provide the transfer, but it will give you a realistic picture of what to expect.

After you enroll at the receiving school, request a formal transfer evaluation right away. If the evaluation is not what the advisor predicted, ask for an appeal. Having that earlier conversation documented can help support your appeal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my GPA transfer to my new school?

No. Your GPA from your previous school does not transfer. Your new school will calculate a new GPA based only on courses you take there. However, your previous transcript will still show your grades, and some schools consider your previous GPA when you apply for graduate school or scholarships.

What if I took a course pass/fail — will it transfer?

Pass/fail courses usually transfer as elective credit if they transfer at all, because the receiving school cannot see a letter grade. Some schools will not transfer pass/fail courses at all. Check your new school's policy before you take a course on a pass/fail basis if you think you might transfer.

Can I transfer credits from an online school or for-profit university?

It depends on whether the school is accredited and whether your receiving school recognizes that accreditation. Public universities are more likely to accept credits from other accredited schools than from unaccredited programs. Before you enroll in any online or for-profit program, contact the university where you plan to finish your degree and ask whether they will transfer credits from that school.

How long does the transfer evaluation take?

Most schools complete a transfer evaluation within two to four weeks of receiving your official transcript. Some schools are faster, especially if you are transferring under a may provide agreement. Contact the registrar if you have not heard back after four weeks.

Do I need to send transcripts from every school I ever attended?

Yes. If you attended more than one school before, send official transcripts from all of them. The receiving school needs to see your complete academic history to make sure you are not transferring the same course twice or hiding a low grade from another institution.