We are changing the way we think about “going to college.” Shifting career expectations and rising college costs are just a couple of the factors behind the change.
Young adults are entering the work force at ever-younger ages. Parents are becoming concerned about the safety and sanity of major college campuses.
And that’s not all: Youngsters go to college and burn out on the party life. They run out of money and have to go home. They get into a dazzling variety of social dilemmas.
Ask any community college instructor. Their courses are stuffed full of people who tried the “college experience” at one time or another. Now they’re back at the community college, either trying to start college over; or maybe even trying to actually learn something.
Bottom line: Attending more than one campus and enrolling in online degree programs will define the college experience in the 21st century. It will simply be reality that more and more college students will attend more than one institution in order to earn a degree.
The College Myth
The dream of attending a four-year college, and finishing a degree in four years, is moving further away from most young people. According to the Center for Education Statistics, less than 10% of American high school graduates enter a four year college and finish their degrees in four years.
Many factors contribute to this, including: Students run out of money; they party too much and flunk out; they get discouraged by all the bureaucracy and leave; they get pregnant (or make others so); they join the military; they lose interest in their majors; they get tempted by a job offer.
Anybody who has ever entered college and left without completing a degree will be able to identify with this topic, and perhaps add an item or two from their own experience.
Myth Meets Reality
Problem is, in the midst of this challenging environment, a college degree has never been more valuable. Multiple studies show that college graduates can easily earn double the lifetime incomes of non-graduates.
And let’s face it, every field of study is becoming more technical and complex. Learning at the highest levels will continue to be among our society’s most important values.
The reason is simple: Learning at the highest levels will continue to be a leading indicator of career success.
The Multi-Institution Experience
One new reality of college is that people are experiencing more than one college or university to earn their degrees. Many are enrolling in a college right out of high school, either a four year or community college, but not finishing a degree.
Then, later, when their career requires a degree, they might return to night school or a weekend program. Later still, when family and perhaps business obligations press in; or when a career change is in order, it is time to join an online degree program.
This is a very common path for today’s nontraditional college students, of whom there are millions. If you have been to a college or two, have perhaps accumulated significant credits toward a degree, and are seeking a school at which to finish, you are not alone.
Your situation is very common.
Seek Institutional Flexibility
If you have earned credit from one or more colleges, but need to join an online degree program for convenience or preference, the key to completing your degree is to work with a flexible school.
This sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s tougher than it sounds: It helps to find an institution that integrates as much of your transfer credit as possible.
The best way to handle this issue is to address it at the very beginning of your interaction with the school. In your initial email or phone call, or when you complete an inquiry form, be sure to mention your transfer credits, and ask them about their general transfer policy.
The most flexible of the schools will work with you to accumulate as much transfer credit as possible. The least flexible will accept as little as possible, and will even try to make you retake courses you’ve already completed. And then they’ll blame their accreditation agencies!
Balderdash. The more credit they can make you take, the more tuition they can suck out of you. And the easier it is on their internal faculty politics. Simple as that.
Obviously, the more credit you can transfer to your new school, or earn through testing or work/life credit portfolio, the less you will need to take. That reduces the time, effort, and financial cost required to complete a degree.
There are some very flexible, yet legitimate schools out there. Some are also very inflexible. Ask upfront, so that you know which type you are dealing with.
The Transfer Process
Most schools will resist making an estimate of your actual transfer credits. This is not because they are trying to give you a hard time. It is because they are trying to limit their liability to accusations of making false promises.
They’re actually being fair and honest with you. They’re trying not to get your hopes up until they see some documentation of your academic experience. If they make you jump through a few hoops, don’t give up. It’s one way to know you’re dealing with pros.
In fact, beware a school that makes specific transfer estimates without seeing your transcripts. They may make general statements about their transfer policy–these are helpful to you. But not specific offers of transfer credit without a transcript? Borderline criminal.
A school should require official, registrar-to-registrar transcripts in order to make a formal offer of transfer credit. Some of the more flexible schools may make an estimate based on student-issued transcripts. That’s legit. However, they should require official transcripts before making a formal offer of transfer credit.
Get It In Writing
Once you have decided to pursue enrolling in a particular school, get their offer of your transfer credit in writing. They should provide you with a formal document that indicates exactly which courses will transfer, and which courses they will replace in your degree completion plan.
Watch out for “elective” transfer credits. Sometimes schools will offer to transfer “electives” that count as credit hours, but do not replace any courses on your degree completion plan. This is useless to you, as it does not reduce the net number of courses you must take to complete your degree.
If you are a person who lives in the “new reality” of college, the multi-institutional experience, new options will keep opening themselves up to you.
Just keep your eyes open, and keep searching. You will find a school that is willing to help you accumulate the credit you have already earned and apply it to the degree you desire.
And at the end, you’ll assemble your diverse experiences on a transcript and earn both a degree and the incredible satisfaction of knowing you persevered in the face of adversity.