Neat old article on credit transfers

[High_Order1]

I didn't see this, sorry if it is a duplicate of an older thread...

Stopping the clock: Colleges under fire over transfer credits that don't count - U.S. News

[SweetSecret]

That's pretty much exactly what I went through, including between institutions within the same state that were supposed to have transfer agreements.

[clep3705]

In Texas, if you transfer from any taxpayer supported college or university to another taxpayer supported institution of higher learning, undergraduate credits generally transfer very easily. There are two reasons. One is the common course numbering system. The other is that the legislature passed a law reforming the transfer of credits process. Once the core curriculum is satisfied at one institution, a notation of core curriculum complete is added to the transcript. This notation compels other taxpayer supported institution to accept the core courses in transfer. However, non-core courses may not transfer.

If the core curriculum designated at one school is less than the core curriculum at another school and the student is officially core complete, other schools must accept this and can't force the student to take additional core courses. However, if the additional core courses are also specifically required for a student's major (such as an extra math class for an engineering degree), then the student will have to take the additional course.

[SweetSecret]

In Texas, if you transfer from any taxpayer supported college or university to another taxpayer supported institution of higher learning, undergraduate credits generally transfer very easily. There are two reasons. One is the common course numbering system. The other is that the legislature passed a law reforming the transfer of credits process. Once the core curriculum is satisfied at one institution, a notation of core curriculum complete is added to the transcript. This notation compels other taxpayer supported institution to accept the core courses in transfer. However, non-core courses may not transfer.

If the core curriculum designated at one school is less than the core curriculum at another school and the student is officially core complete, other schools must accept this and can't force the student to take additional core courses. However, if the additional core courses are also specifically required for a student's major (such as an extra math class for an engineering degree), then the student will have to take the additional course.

The state I grew up in has the same sort of thing. They have a loophole though that I was unaware of, which says that if you move out of state and pursue college elsewhere then move back - they aren't required to transfer it as a block of credits. So I started at a community college, went out of state for some elective credits, move back to my home state and finished two associates at a community college. When I went to transfer to the state 4 year colleges they all told me they weren't required to accept the courses as a block because I'd taken 9 elective credits out of state. They wouldn't even transfer my general ed courses as a block, even though they were all taken in-state.

[sanantone]

In addition to the core, Texas also requires some major area of study courses to be accepted in transfer between colleges. However, that article is correct. At some Texas schools, it can take months to find out which courses will transfer. The Alamo Community Colleges took about two semesters to evaluate my credits. Central Texas College was pretty fast, though.

[cookderosa]

I didn't see this, sorry if it is a duplicate of an older thread...

Stopping the clock: Colleges under fire over transfer credits that don't count - U.S. News

That's really good- I'm going to share it with my homeschool families.

I wrote this a while back for the high school students (keeping in mind they frequently take credit several years before they've picked a target college)

Will it transfer?
March 5, 2015 at 9:40am
When you're planning potential credit that your teen won't use for 1,2,3 or more years, how can you be sure it will transfer? Follow this yes/no flow chart for your best chance of success.
Jennifer Cook DeRosa, Homeschooling for College Credit

A) Is the class offered through a university or college? If yes, continue to B. If no, read number 1.

B) Is the university or college regionally accredited? If yes, continue to C. If you don’t know, check their regional accreditation here: U.S. Department of Education Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs. If no, read number 2.

C) Does the institution participate in federal financial aid programs? If yes, continue to D. If no, read number 3.

D) Locate the college, school, or department within the institution that offers the course: do they award a degree called AA, AS, BA, or BS? If yes, continue to E. If this course is not part of a degree, or it is part of a credential with a different name: Certificate, Diploma, AAS, AOS, BPS, and others, read number 4.

E) Is the class you're looking at 100 level or higher (ENG101 = yes. ENG075 =no)? If yes, continue to E. If no, read number 5.

E) Does this class appear on the college’s list of approved general education courses? If yes, the likelihood of transfer is EXCELLENT! You may enroll with confidence. If no, read number 6.





(1) Wait. Non-colleges and curriculum businesses offer college courses for credit, and sometimes will transfer if they have been evaluated through the American Council of Education (ACE). Examples of these types of programs include Straighterline, ALEKS, CollegePlus, TEEX, Sophia, Coursera, and others. There are a handful of colleges that readily and openly accept ACE courses, but outside of that set, transfer is unlikely. If you’re sure your college is on that list, enroll because it will transfer. If your college is not on that list, stop here.

(2) Colleges that are NOT regionally accredited almost never transfer into colleges that ARE regionally accredited. All public community colleges and universities ARE regionally accredited, so the likelihood that they’d accept an NON-RA credit in transfer is not likely. Non-regionally accredited (but still accredited) colleges can be legitimate schools in every other way, but strictly in the question of transfer, avoid non-regionally accredited courses in high school.

(3) Use caution. Participation in federal financial aid is a process that involves a significant number of checks and balances, and opens up the possibility for higher enrollment, it’s in the school's best interest to participate. Schools that don’t participate probably don’t qualify, which is a red flag. Aid here is an indicator, not an eliminator, but that’s reason enough to avoid this program. The other possibility is that the course is professional development or continuing education, which also excludes it from transfer. Stop here.

(4) Thumbs down. If this class is NOT part of a degree program, this course is likely part of continuing education, extension, professional development, or adult education course. This course may provide a solid work credential or certificate/diploma, but it is unlikely that college credit is an option for this class....but...if this class IS part of a degree in anything other than AA or AS, that also indicates a high likelihood that the course is designed for non-transfer. These courses are typically part of career, trade, technical, applied technology, or other direct-entry course. These degrees are intended to provide immediate job training, not transfer to a 4 year university. Don't enroll...unless....the school you’re taking this course through is a 4 year college, and you intend on completing a degree at that same college. In that case, speak to the advisor and confirm it counts toward the degree. If it does, enroll. If you intend to take this course and use it toward a degree at a different school, transfer is unlikely. Stop here.

(5) Research is required. 100, 200, 300, 400 are traditional levels assigned to college courses. (English 101 means a freshman level class, aka 100 level.) If the course doesn’t have a number, or is under 100 level 060, 099, 050, etc. this course is either non-credit or a developmental prerequisite for 100 level. It will likely not transfer, and it will probably not count toward a degree completion. Frequently, these courses may be assigned to the student to meet a deficiency, but you should not choose this course unless directed by the college. Stop here.

(6) You need more information. Courses excluded from meeting general education course requirements may still be eligible for transfer credit in some situations, but use caution.

[sanantone]

A lot of DEAC schools don't participate in Title IV funding because the market they are targeting is students who don't want to go into debt. Generally, DEAC schools are much cheaper than regionally accredited and ACICS and ACCSC schools. ACICS and ACCSC schools tend to participate in Title IV funding and charge exorbitant tuition rates to take advantage of their low income students who qualify for max amounts of financial aid. Patten University is a regionally accredited school that does not accept Title IV funding after being bought by a company that operates a DEAC school. They decided to put it on the same pricing model as New Charter University. They save students a lot of money, so I don't see anything wrong with it. There are several students here attending Patten University. Amberton University, which is a generally respected institution, is also a regionally accredited school that does not participate in Title IV funding for ideological purposes. What is most important is accreditation. These colleges qualify for Title IV funding just by being accredited, so not accepting it is usually done with the intent of keeping students out of debt. Participating in Title IV funding increases administrative costs and those additional costs go into the tuition rates. Accrediting bodies are the ones that keep an eye on a school's finances.

Note: Before UniversityNow bought Patten University, it participated in Title IV funding and was in danger of losing its accreditation. UniversityNow got the school back on track, it was taken off of probation, and stopped accepting Title IV funding. So, participating in Title IV funding is not an indicator of the stability of the school. Penn Foster has been operating for over 100 years without accepting Title IV. Amberton University has been operating for almost four decades this way.

Newer public colleges or universities may not be accredited at all. Northeast Lakeview College in San Antonio has been around for 7 or 8 years and is still not accredited. In many fields, it is common to see AA, AS, and AAS degrees. Business administration and criminal justice are two fields where you'll see all three. Intro to Criminal Justice in an AA program is the same as Intro to Criminal Justice in an AAS program. Financial Accounting in an AS program is the same as Financial Accounting in an AAS program. Generally, AAS programs just require fewer general education courses. The degree is not designed for transfer, but that does not mean that the courses within the degree are not designed for transfer. Whether or not a particular course will transfer depends on it being at the college level (100 level or higher, but some schools use 1000 or other number systems) and if it will fit into the program you're transferring to.