Will Your Online College Credits Be Accepted by Degree-Granting Colleges?
05/05/2010
Are you thinking of taking college courses online? If so, you already know that online study is a time-efficient, cost-effective way to earn college credits. But how can you be sure that the credits you earn will be accepted if you decide to continue your studies in a degree-granting institution?
Here are some steps to help assure that the credit from your Internet studies will be accepted by your new school.
Start out by picking the right provider of online courses. They are not all the same. Some have invested extra effort to have their courses reviewed and recommended by governing bodies like the Council of Education. Others have not. If you ask questions first, you will have taken an important first step toward assuring your success in transferring credits.
Ask whether the course-provider is affiliated with existing colleges. Such arrangements can smooth the transition to a degree-earning institution. For example, StraighterLine.com has established ties with six accredited colleges. The result? Students can experience a seamless transition into a college degree-granting institution.
Talk with the colleges where you plan to apply. A representative from admissions, or from the registrar’s office, should be able to explain the institution’s policies for accepting college credits for coursework that was done elsewhere. Remember, some colleges can make it difficult to transfer credits – they only accept credits for courses that are similar to their own offerings, or only accept a limited number of credits toward one of their degrees.
Before you go into meetings with college representatives, get your documentation in order. To avoid frustrating repeat meetings, come prepared with information about the courses you have taken – or plan to take. How many credits hours do the courses carry, for example? Have they been approved by the American or another agency?
By Josef Katz