Improving Your Education

Making Sure All Your Community College Credits Transfer: Four Helpful Hints

28 July 2016 by Johnni Warren

Attending a two-year or community college can be a great way to save money and still work toward a four-year degree at a university or accredited college. There are, however, some problems students encounter when trying to transfer their credits to a new four-year school. One study showed that students who earned an average of 54.17 credits from a community college were only able to transfer approximately 42.57 of them. This means those students had to repeat credit hours to earn a bachelor's degree. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to prevent this from happening to you. Use the following guide to help ensure your transferable college credits are indeed transferable.

Meet With A College Counselor

The counselor on your community college campus can help you to determine which courses make the most sense for your desired degree, and he or she can assist you with finding credit hours that will transfer. Together, you can create a two-year plan for success that leads to fewer surprises when you get ready to transfer. Even if you have already begun classes, meeting with a counselor can help you to determine if you are on the right track.

Pick Your Four-Year School

Different schools have different rules about credit transfers, so what might transfer to one college might not transfer to another. Contact your desired college and request a list of courses that are deemed transferable. You may also be able to find this information on each school's website. Once you know what will and won't transfer, you can choose your community college course load with confidence.

Don't Stay Too Long

While it might be tempting to stay as long as possible at a two-year school to save money or stay close to home, you may actually end up hurting your chances for credits to transfer. Some schools prefer to see higher-level classes completed on their campuses instead of allowing credit transfers. You may want to consider enrolling in the four-year school on a part-time basis instead of lingering in community college. This can also help you to save money, but you'll get the benefit of knowing your credits are going toward your eventual graduation.

Transferring from a two-year school to a four-year school takes planning, so it is important to try to determine your education and career path as early as possible. You'll be able to choose the right classes for your major and your desired school so you can feel confident that your credits will transfer.

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