Frequently Asked Questions About Transfer

I am taking courses at a community college, but I have no idea where I want to transfer or what my major is going to be. What should I do?

First, talk to your advisor or institutional transfer contact. Tell them you are planning to transfer and need to find out what courses to take that will transfer to your chosen university and/or program. Find out what courses transfer and where by logging on to Kentucky's online transfer advising system, ky.transfer.org/cas. If you don't know where you want to transfer, start taking coursework that meets the general education requirements of your institution. These courses, when taken appropriately, are guaranteed to transfer to a 4-year institution. You can find out which courses to take to meet general education requirements by looking at your school's university catalog.

Taking courses that transfer widely will help you to keep your options open. Make sure you keep a copy of your college catalog and course syllabi. Inquire at your college about advisor appointments, career planning seminars or aptitude testing, which may help you decide where to go next.

Can I transfer to any Kentucky post-secondary institution?

All public and independent institutions in Kentucky accept transfer students. Keep in mind that admission may be competitive for some programs and that Kentucky's transfer policies only apply to public institutions. You may meet all of the minimum admission requirements for a particular program, yet not be accepted because your grades aren't as high as those of other applicants. See the section on admission as a transfer student.

Yes. Remember, you must submit official transcripts from each institution you attended. In addition, some courses may transfer but may not meet program requirements for graduation. Remember to make sure your transcripts have been assessed for transfer credit before they are sent. The receiving institution is required to take into account any transfer certifications noted on your official transcripts.

Once admitted, you'll receive credit for each transferable course you completed with a passing grade ('D' or higher). If you're enrolling in a specific program of study, you may need a higher grade. Whatever grades you've received in individual courses, the admission decision is ultimately based on your overall GPA.

Yes. Each year many students transfer successfully from one Kentucky university to another. If you're thinking about transferring between universities, you should contact the receiving university for details on the transfer process. Transfer tools like the General Education Transfer Policy apply to university-to-university transfer, so you should make sure to use them to access your best transfer options. You may be required to provide additional course information in order to have your courses evaluated. Always plan for transfer with your advisor and log on to KY CAS to get more detailed information about how your coursework will transfer.

Yes, there are a few reasons. For example, failing the course, taking the course too long ago, taking duplicate courses, or failing to get a "Letter of Good Standing," are all reasons why you might not get transfer credit. In addition, because of residency and upper division requirements, taking too much credit before you transfer can be counter-productive.

You don't usually need to have completed a specific number of transfer credits in order to transfer to a university college degree program. But remember — admission to any post-secondary institution is not guaranteed and entry to specific programs is often very competitive.

The advisor at your current institution should be able to answer questions about your courses and how they'll fit into your academic goals. If your questions are about applying to a specific program at an institution, it's probably best to contact that institution's Admissions Office or the Institutional Transfer Contact. The institutional catalog, print or online, is also a very good resource. It will outline program requirements, graduation requirements, and all the rules that students are responsible for knowing. Remember, you can also use KY CAS to see how your courses transfer.

An advisor helps you with your academic planning, a counselor helps you with your career planning and meeting personal goals, and a financial aid officer helps you sort out your finances (loans, grants, etc.). In smaller institutions, one person may fill more than one of these roles.

You can (and should!) use it any time. It's a helpful tool before and after you register for your courses. Checking transferability beforehand can help you decide which courses to take. Checking transferability afterwards will help you understand how other institutions will accept your courses. Log on now at ky.transfer.org/cas!

If the courses taken were similar to the courses in the program you are transferring to, then you will usually receive transfer credit. However, you may have to provide course syllabi in order to receive the credit, and the evaluation process may take a while. Check with advisors to see how coursework is accepted between the institutions. While independent and out-of-state institutions do not currently participate in Kentucky's transfer policies, other transfer agreements may be in place between the schools.

If you decide to change your major or program, check the catalog for the new requirements. You will still get all the transfer credit you are entitled to, but you may not be able to apply it in the same way to your new program. You will probably have to take more courses than originally planned to meet the requirements of your new program.

That depends on how many years ago, and on the institution and program in which you want to enroll. Many institutions consider that knowledge acquired more than ten or so years ago may no longer be current, and therefore may not grant credit for outdated courses. Courses in rapidly evolving fields such as information technology may have an even shorter shelf life. Check with your intended institution regarding their policy.

Kentucky has several tools that will guarantee the transfer of your courses into public postsecondary institutions. The General Education Transfer Policy allows students to transfer ALL or part of their general education coursework from one institution to another. By taking the general education courses at your college and university, and speaking with an advisor, you can guarantee the transfer of credits in blocks, or the full general education program. Remember, your transcripts must be certified to receive this guarantee.