Transfer Credit Guide

• Previous College Credits: Coursework from regionally accredited schools almost always transfers.
• CLEP and DSST Exams: Test out of standard courses for ~$90 instead of paying $1,500+ in tuition.
• Military Training: The military provides a Joint Services Transcript (JST) with ACE-recommended credit equivalents.
• Professional Certifications: Tech certs (CompTIA, AWS, Cisco) or project management certs (PMP) often map directly to IT or Business degree credits.
• Prior Learning Assessment (PLA): Earning credit by building a portfolio that proves your work experience equals course objectives.

The brutal truth: Credits transfer, degrees don't.

Just because you have an Associate's degree or 60 credits doesn't mean a university will accept all 60 credits toward your major.

The Elective Trap: A school might accept your 60 credits, but categorize 30 of them as "free electives" which you don't actually need to graduate. You still have to take (and pay for) 90 credits of specific major requirements.

How to avoid this: Always ask for a written, formal credit evaluation that shows exactly which requirements your transfer credits satisfy before you commit.

The smartest financial move in higher education is the 2+2 transfer plan.

• Articulation Agreements: These are official contracts between a community college and a 4-year university stating exactly which courses transfer. Never guess what will transfer. Use the agreement.
• Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG): Many state systems (like California and Ohio) offer guaranteed admission to state universities if you complete specific associate degrees with a minimum GPA.

Get advising from the target 4-year university while you are still at the community college to ensure you don't take unnecessary classes.

Your military service translates directly to college credit.

• Request your JST: Your Joint Services Transcript is free and officially documents your training.
• ACE Recommendations: The American Council on Education reviews military training and recommends college credit equivalents.
• Military-Friendly Schools: Look for schools with extremely generous military transfer policies, such as APUS, Excelsior University, Troy University, and WGU.

CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) is the biggest underutilized shortcut in college.

For ~$90, you can take a 90-minute multiple-choice test on a subject (like College Algebra, Intro to Psychology, US History). If you pass, you get 3-6 college credits. That replaces a 16-week, $1,500 course.

Free Prep: ModernStates.org offers free high-quality prep courses for CLEP exams and will even pay your testing fee.

Note: Check your target school's specific CLEP policy first. They usually limit how many CLEP credits you can apply (e.g., max 30 credits).

If you have 10 years of experience in HR, you shouldn't have to take "Intro to Human Resources 101."

PLA allows you to earn credit by submitting a detailed portfolio that maps your professional experience to the learning objectives of a specific course.

Best schools for PLA: Thomas Edison State University, Charter Oak State College, Excelsior University, and SNHU are known as "The Big Three/Four" of generous adult transfer policies.