Transfer Credit to TCCC

Course work transferred or accepted for credit toward an undergraduate degree must represent collegiate course work relevant to the degree with course content and level of instruction resulting in student competencies at least equivalent to those of students enrolled in the College’s undergraduate degree program.

Any such earned credit must meet the minimum College academic standards worth at least 2.0 grade points or better and must parallel the content of similar courses offered. A minimum of twenty-five percent (25%) of the total semester credit hours to graduate from any program must be taken at the College. The maximum amount of credit allowed to be applied toward a credential is seventy five percent (75%) of the College’s curriculum. Any course taken at a North Carolina Community College System institution will be accepted for the equivalent course except as specified herein.

For all others, the following criteria will be considered in determining the acceptability of the transfer course work:

1. Accreditation of the school by a regional or national accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. Accreditation does not guarantee acceptance of transfer credit.
2. Equivalency of course descriptions, outcomes and analysis of course level, content, quality, comparability, and degree program relevance. It shall be the student’s responsibility to provide documentation of this equivalency, which may include, but is not limited to, syllabi, course catalogs, course outcomes, etc.
3. Use of recognized guides, such as those published by the American Council on Education, the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers and the National Association of Foreign Student Affairs.
4. If the school was not accredited by a regional or national accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education at the time the course was taken, additional documentation will be required. It shall be the student’s responsibility to provide any additional documentation requested.
5. For skills-based courses, particularly those in the advanced technology programs, demonstration of student skills may be a component of the evaluation process. Courses will be re-evaluated at least once every two years. Decisions related to acceptance of credit will be made by the appropriate faculty member(s) and the dean of that program area, in consultation with the Vice President for Instruction.

The responsibility for determining transfer credit from other colleges and universities rests with the Registrar. When there is doubt about the appropriateness of transfer credit or when a student wishes to appeal a transfer credit decision, the transcript will be referred to the appropriate faculty member(s) and Dean, whose decision will be final. In such cases, the Dean will note the decision in the student’s academic file. Time limits may be imposed in certain situations, such as for allied health program courses and technical and computer-related courses where content is no longer equivalent. The Registrar and the appropriate vice president will maintain a list of courses that have time limits for transfer.

When a student transfers from a postsecondary institution to the College, the following steps will be implemented:

1. The student fills out an application for admission and is responsible for providing an official high school transcript and an official transcript from any other postsecondary institution. The student should allow at least one month for the transcript evaluation process prior to registering for classes.
2. The Registrar evaluates the transcript and credit is accepted in accordance with the College’s program offerings and the procedure stated herein. No credit for a course with a grade lower than a “C” may be transferred. The transcript evaluation is conducted in cooperation with the appropriate faculty member(s) and Dean, as applicable.
3. The student is given placement test(s), if applicable.
4. The student continues with registration procedure.

The College recognizes the following additional opportunities for awarding transfer credits:

1. College Board Advanced Placement Program (“AP”): College course credit will be granted to students who pass the AP examinations with a score of three, four or five. Students must submit an official score report from the College Board to the Registrar’s office for consideration of granting college credit. See the Registrar for a list of current AP credit course equivalencies
2. College-Level Examination Program (“CLEP”): College course credit will be granted to students who participate in CLEP Subject Examinations and achieve the minimum passing score as recommended by the American Council on Education. Students must submit an official CLEP transcript to the Registrar’s office for consideration of granting college credit. See the Registrar for a list of current CLEP credit course equivalencies
3. Educational Experiences in the Armed Services: Servicemen and veterans may be awarded college credit for service schools they have attended. The service schools must be accredited by a regional accrediting agency. Before applying for credit, contact the service school(s) and ask them to which regional accrediting agency they belong. Contact the Registrar for more information.
   
   Joint Services Transcript (“JST”) is an academically accepted document approved by the American Council on Education (“ACE”) to validate a service member’s military occupational experience and training along with the corresponding ACE college credit recommendations. When the College receives an official copy of a JST, the Registrar will review and apply appropriate course credit. The Vice President of Instruction will be consulted if there is need for further discussion regarding proposed course credit.
4. Non-curriculum to Curriculum Transfer Credit: Non-curriculum course work from the College related to curriculum instruction may be transferred or accepted for credit towards curriculum courses in specific programs. Such credit will only be awarded under specific agreements approved by the appropriate vice president and department chair. Such approval should take into account course materials, course hours, licensure exams or other external validation, and the credentials of the CE faculty.

International Transcripts

When You Apply

It is possible to transfer your foreign/international coursework to TCCC. To receive transfer credit toward a TCCC degree, diploma, or certificate based on international transcripts, students must provide an official evaluation of their transcripts by an independent transcript evaluation service that is a currently endorsed member of either the Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE), or National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).

NACES:  https://www.naces.org/members  AICE: http://aice-eval.org/members/

Spantran is a NACES preferred partner: https://spanside.secure.force.com/SpantranApplication?Id=8b0d1032-dabc-4f0f-8b8b-0ed301e1c66f

IMPORTANT:

• Comprehensive evaluations of international transcripts can be expensive and may not be necessary depending upon your educational goals. Our Academic Success Counselors and Registrar can advise you accordingly.
• All agencies are private organizations. It is the responsibility of the student to pay for the services rendered.
• You may need to request a detailed or comprehensive report that includes a course-by-course review with unit value, grade, and lower/upper division breakdown.
• It is important for the student to provide complete and accurate information, following the specific directions of the respective agencies.
• Submit the official international transcript evaluation report to the TCCC Admissions Office for secondary and high school institutions and to the Registrar’s Office for post-secondary or higher education institutions.
• Please see our current Student Handbook’s “Transfer Credit to TCCC” section for additional requirements and details.

Transfer Credit from TCCC

Tri-County Community College offers options to graduates from its two-year associate degree programs and its two-year college transfer program. Graduates of these programs have the option of entering a career, continuing their education at a senior institution, or both.

Academic work completed at Tri-County Community College that is covered by the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement will transfer into all other institutions in the North Carolina system of colleges and universities. The Comprehensive Articulation Agreement formulated by the North Carolina Community College System in conjunction with all senior institutions in the state system guarantees the general equivalency transfer of the core curriculum throughout the community college system.

Graduation with an A.A., A.E., A.F.A., or A.S. degree from Tri-County Community College ensures that a student’s coursework will transfer into any senior institution in the system, credited with having finished all general education requirements, and awarded junior status in the receiving institution. Completion of the Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree does not guarantee admission to a particular North Carolina public university, although admission is guaranteed to at least one of the North Carolina senior institutions.

Students who complete an A.A.S. degree should consult with their advisor on the transferability of their coursework.