This document provides information to help community college students who plan to transfer to a four-year college to earn their bachelor's degree. It discusses the different types of colleges and universities, frequently asked questions about transferring, and the transfer process and timeline. The key points are: 1. There are different types of colleges including community colleges, public and private universities, technical schools, and online colleges. 2. Frequently asked questions cover topics like declaring a major, public vs. private colleges, transferring credits, and application processes. 3. The transfer process involves choosing a four-year college, applying online, submitting transcripts, and potentially earning an associate's degree before transferring to boost chances of acceptance and full

1. Questions and Answers for Students Attending Community Colleges
with Plans to Earn Their Bachelor’s Degree
Steven Stolar, Ed.D., Student Development Advisor
Cumberland County College, Vineland, NJ
CumberlandCountyCollegeprovidesstudentswiththe firsttwoyearsof theircollege career.Forsome,
a Certificate oran Associate Degree will be all theyneedtostarttheircareers.Otherswill be usingthese
twoyears andearningtheirAssociate Degree tomarkthe half‐waypointtowarda Bachelor’sDegree.
Thisarticle waspreparedto helptransferstudentsstayontaskand assistwiththe processof finding a
four‐yearcollegetotransfertoand complete theirBachelor’sDegree.
Introduction
There are generallyeightdifferentkindsofcollegesinthe UnitedStates.
 The AmericanCommunityCollege whichenrolls abouthalf of all the college studentsinthe
countryat one time oranother are the most abundantcollegesinthe country. There are about
1,100 of two-yearcolleges acrossthe US. Examplesare CayugaCountyCommunityCollegein
Auburn,NYand Middlesex CommunityCollege inBedford,MA.
 PublicState Colleges are oftenpartof a networkof othercollegeswithdifferentnames
operatingwithinone state. These mightbe calledcolleges oruniversitiesandthe difference
wouldbe if theyalso offerDoctoral Degrees.
 Private Liberal ArtsColleges isanothercategory of postsecondarylearningenvironments.
LoyolaUniversity inBaltimore,MDis an example of thiskindof school. Althoughthis isa
religious(Catholic) school theyare opentoall denominations andfocusona particularmission
theycall the JesuitTradition.
 The Land Grant University are verylarge publicuniversities thatwere originallyreferredtoan
Agricultural andMechanical schools(TexasA&M). They were firstestablishedin1863 through
the sale of publiclandstocreate collegesthatwouldhelpourcountryexpandandgrow. Since
thenschoolslike VirginiaTechandRutgersUniversity inNJ have adoptedthe missionof
researchuniversitiesthataddressproblemsolvingandenrichmentof lives. Theytendtohave
campuseswhichprovide accessthroughoutthe state forall toenjoy.PennState withtwo-year
campusesthroughoutthe state onPennsylvaniaisagoodexample of this. These verylarge
universitiesare aswell knownfortheirfootball teamsasanythingelse.
 IvyLeague Universities locatedinthe NortheastNewEnglandstates have the mostprestigious
reputationsandalsoownmedical,dental,law andotherprofessional schoolsproviding notonly
elite butalsoveryexpensiveeducation. “HarvardLaw” hasbecome an iconicvisionof power,
wealthandauthority.
 Technical and Vocational Schools are probablythe mostpractical andarguable the most
necessaryschoolsof all andtendto be privatelyowned,oftenforprofitschools. If youare
lookingtodevelopaskill involvingtools,machinery,movingpartsandgoodhourlywagesthena
vocational college mightbe yourbestchoice forlearningafterhighschool. The Maine School of
Masonry inAvonis an example of acollege thatteachesafocusedtrade anddoes it well. What
wouldthe worldbe like if youcouldn’tfindaplumberwhenyouneededone?
 Theological Schools are some of the oldestschoolsinthe country. Inthe earlyColonial Daysof
Americathe clergyprovidedthe pioneersof ourcountryspiritual comfort,guidanceandasense

2. of reasoninan otherwise wildhabitatformerlyoccupied only byourNative Americans. Today
Seminaries,Rabbinical Schools andMissionariesprovidethe same kindsof servicesscaledupto
moderndayneedsanddemands.
 Online colleges are the mostrecenttypesof collegestojointhe party. Unheardof a few
decadesago,schoolslike Universityof Phoenix andDeVry offerBachelor’sandgraduate degrees
afterstartingout developingonlineplatformsthat were originallydesignedforadvanced
professionalCEUtraining.
This visual shows the Fall and Spring Model of obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree over the
traditional four year period.
It requires120 creditsminimumtobe awardeda Bachelor’sDegree.Assuming3-creditcoursesyou
wouldneed40 coursesto complete aBachelor’sDegree and20 coursesfor an Associate’sDegree. Only
about20 percentof the studentsinthe entire countryactuallycompletetheirBachelor’sdegreesin4-
yearsin the traditional timeline presentedhere. Studentscanaccelerate theirprogressbytaking
advantage of the Winteror Summersemesters. Occasionallyastudentsmusttake apre-college or
developmental course whichmightthendelaytheircompletiondate.
Frequentlyaskedquestionsabout transfer from communityto four-yearcolleges
1. What will my first semesterentail? Declare amajor. Meetyour advisoranddiscussyour
academicplan.Become aware of the coursesyou needtotake to complete yourdegree
program andthe prerequisitesforthese courses.Determine yourdate of yourgraduationand
try to stay ontrack.
2. Must I transfer whenI graduate? No,butthe sooneryoudo the more likelyitisforyouto
graduate and enteryourcareer.
3. What is the difference betweenapublicand a private college? Publiccollegesreceivetax
dollarsfromstateswhereasprivate collegesdependontuitiondollarstomeettheirexpenses.
Publiccollegesare therefore lessexpensive toattendif youlive inthatstate.If youtransferout
of yourhome state youwill paya highertuitionasan out‐of‐state residenttoa publiccollege.
Private collegeshave fixedtuitionratesforall studentsfromanystate.Theydonot receive
publicfunding.

3. 4. Are there transfer laws? Some stateshave passedlawstoprotectthe transferof creditsfrom
communitycollegestopubliccollegeswithinstates. InNew Jerseyforexample the LampittBill
Legislation(sponsoredbyAssemblyWomanPamelaLampitt) ensuresthatstudentswho
transferfroma NJ communitycollegeintoafour‐yearpublicNJcollegewithanAA orAS degree,
while perusingthe same BA or BS track will receiveJuniorstandingatthe four‐yearcollege.
The studentisassuredthat one half of theirstudiesare complete upontransfer.There maybe
exceptions,butthisisthe “spirit”of the law whichall collegesinthe state abide by. NewYork,
Maryland,PennsylvaniaandNew Jerseyare examplesof stateswhere 2-yearand4-yearpublic
collegesworkverywelltogethertoprotectstudentstransfercredits.
5. What’sthe difference betweenacollege anda university? Usuallythe size of the school and
the highestdegree itoffers.TheybothofferBachelor’sDegrees.UniversitiesofferDoctorate
Degreesandare usuallylargerthanpublicorprivate colleges.A College mayofferMaster
Degreesbutnotnecessarily.A Universitywouldoffer bothMasterandDoctoral Degrees.
6. What are ArticulationAgreements? These are arrangements collegesmake togethertodetail
howstudentstransferfromone college toanother. Theysometimescause confusionbecause
studentsandtheirparentswill interprettheseasthe onlycollegesthatyoucantransferto.
Look at themas advertisementsfortransfer. Sometimestheyofferdiscountsandincentivesas
well. These agreementsalsoreinforce studenttransferoptionstocollegesoutside of yourstate.
TheysometimesaddresstransferfromAASDegreestoBachelor’sdegrees. A listof schoolsthat
your college hasArticulationAgreementswithdoesnotrepresentthe onlyschoolsone can
transferto.They call attentiontoschoolswe have developedagreementswithformultiple
reasons.
7. ShouldI getmy Associate Degree before I transfer? Yes,generallyitisbetter,butnotrequired.
It helpstodo this.Youwill save moneybyearningyourAssociate Degree before transferring.
The chances of you receivingfull Juniorstandingatthe 4‐yearcollege alsoincreaseswitha
degree.Butitis notrequired.Special circumstancesmightwarrantyoutotransferbefore
receivingyourdegree,buttheyare the exception.Inthe state of New Jerseyforexample,
NJStarsScholarshiprecipientsmusttransferwiththeirAA orASbefore transferringinorderto
keeptheirStarsII Scholarship.
8. Can I transfer in January or only inSeptember? StudentsmostoftentransferinSeptemberat
the start of a newyear.But Januaryor mid‐yearwinter/springsemestertransfersworkjustfine
if that fitsyourtimetable better.Fall transfersare more common.
9. What is college accreditation? The goodnews first;mostall collegesare accredited. Butthis
can be a trickyquestionbecause there are differentkindsof accreditation. A traditional college
or universitywouldneedtobe accreditedbyone of nine AccreditingOrganizationsdepending
on the area of the countrytheyreside in. The AmericanCouncil onEducation (ACE) publishesa
guide toAccreditedInstitutionsof PostsecondaryEducation. Regional,Career-related,Faith-
related,Professional andSpecializedAccreditingappliestodifferenttypes of schoolsand
colleges. Thisinformationwill be publishedforyoubutitneverhurtsto ask. The keyisto
ensure yourcommunitycollegeisRegionallyAccreditedsothatyourcreditswill transfertoa
RegionallyAccredited4-yearcollege. Providingyouare acceptedbyhavinga good grade point
average,yourcreditswill transfertocollegesfromMaine toCalifornia. Academicprogramslike

4. Nursing,RadiographyandParalegal have additionalaccreditationswhichcanbe foundonthe
college’swebpage.
10. What should I look for in a college when I transfer? Investing in your AA and BA degree will be
one of the largestinvestmentsyouwillevermake inyourlife.Otherthanpurchasingahome,your
degree maybe yoursingle largestpurchase,notonlyinterms of moneybuttime andenergytoo.
It’s important that you pick a college that is the right fit for you. Location, majors, sports, size,
expense,housing,parking,studyabroadopportunities, extracurricularactivitiesare all important
aspects of a college you might transfer to. Look at their web page repeatedly, visit the school.
Attend an Open House or Transfer Visitation Day which all colleges host for potential transfer
students.Remember,theywantyouto applyand attendtheircollege andtheyare interestedin
meetingyouand answeringyourquestions.Donot be shy about approachingthemand sending
emailstotheiradmissionsoffices. Thisis not the time to be shy. Ask themeverythingyouwant
to know.
11. How do I submita college applicationto transfer?In virtuallyall casesyouwill applyonline.
The application will be foundonthe college’swebsite. If youare unsure of the college’sweb
addresssimple Google the name of the collegefirst. Be sure to submitthe TransferStudent
Application,notthe one forFreshman. If some instancesyouwillbe directedtocomplete the
“CommonApplication”butthisisoptional. Youwill alsoneedadebitorcreditcard topay your
applicationfee andhave yourcollege sendthemyourofficialcollege transcript(s). Some
collegeshave anelectronictranscriptprocessbuta hard copyis more common. You mustsigna
release andpaya small processingfee toyourcollege,usuallynotmore than$5. You will not
usuallybe askedforyourhighschool records or test scoreslike the SAT.These applytoentering
Freshman. Asa transferstudentyouracceptance will be basedonyoutranscriptat the
college(s) youhave attendedafterhighschool.
12. What is the UniversityCenteron campus? The UniversityCenterlocatedon manytwo-year
college campuseswill provide youaseamlesstransferexperience. Located at yourhome
campus, it ismost convenientforstudentswhodonothave the abilitytotravel or relocate to
complete theirstudies.Stopintothe UCjustto see what collegesare there andwhatmajorsare
offer.
13. There are differenttypesofcollegesanduniversities,whichshouldI choose?Thisis an
excellentquestionwhichisoften askedoften. If youneedtoremainhome andfinishyour
Bachelor’sDegree locallyyouhave several options. (1) AttendacollegeinyourUniversityCenter
if there isone. Our college web page identifieseightUniversityPartnersandthe majorsthey
offerthatyou maytransferto and remainonour campus. (2) Online Bachelor’sdegree
programsare growinginpopularityandseemtobe right forindependentlearnerswithahigh
level of discipline who are comfortable withtechnology. (3) Commutingisanotheroptionfora
“locationbound”transferstudent. Fromthe locationwhere Iworkat CumberlandCounty
College inSouthwesternNew Jerseythere are three commutable colleges,RowanUniversity,
RutgersUniversityand StocktonUniversity.If youare willingandable tocommute into
Philadelphia,there are manyotherfine collegesthere.There are 4‐yearcollegesanduniversities
inall 50 statesyoumay choose toapplyand transferto. The funis inthe hunt. Be sure to visit
the transferoffice atyour college forsome directionandgoodadvice.

5. 14. What helpcan I expectfrom my CommunityCollege? TransferServices are alwaysmentioned
on a college’shome page solookthere first. The TransferCenterhasstaff to provide one-on-
one help. Theyare likelytoofferservicesthroughoutthe yeartohelpstudentsnavigatetheir
transitiontotheirnextcollege forthe Bachelor’s. These serviceswill include College Fairs,On-
Site transferdaysand visitsfromrecruitersrepresenting differentcolleges. Ourcollege offers
some servicesincoordinationwiththe local hightoreduce costsof duplication. InFebruarywe
holdan annual eventcalled “TransferDay”.All studentsneargraduationare invitedto
participate inthiseventatwhichyoucan register,apply,andhave anadmissionsinterview and
thenreceive anansweronthe spot from an admissions representative from adozenvarious
universities.
15. How will I pay for my next degree? Moststudentsrelyonseveral sourcesof moniestofund
theireducation.Howhave yourpaidforyour college sofar?Probablywitha Federal PELL Grant,
perhaps some a state scholarshipmoney,aprivate meritbasedscholarshipandperhapsyou
may have eventakenouta small studentloan. Some studentsare fortunate tohave earneda
scholarshipfromanorganizationtohelpthem. Othersourcesof payingforcollege come from
your personal savings,yourparentsorotherrelativesmayhave helped. Youprobablyworkedat
some pointandusedthat moneytobuy books,buspasses,gasfor yourcar and lunchinthe
cafeteria.Fundingyourfour‐yeardegreewillworkmuchthe same way.Your tuitionwill be
higherbutmost othercostswill be aboutthe same.The big difference thatmakesaBachelor’s
Degree more expensiveisthe increase intuitionand of course the addedRoomand Board if you
live oncampus. Keepinmindthat four‐yearcollegesneedyouontheircampuses.Theywant
youto attendtheircollege andmayofferyoufinancial incentivesforattendingtheirschool.
These incentivescome inthe formof TransferScholarships.Basically,the higheryourgradesare
the more you are likelytobe awarded. Most studentsdoneed torelyon studentloanstosome
degree tofundtheirBachelor’s.
16. What kindsof degreesare there? There are several typesof Associate Degrees:AA,AS,AAS,
AFA dependingontheirfieldandthe numberof General Educationcourse requirements.These
are all two‐yeardegrees. Theymight take longerthantwoyearsto complete,butthey
representthe firsttwoyearsof college,FreshmanandSophomore years. Basicallythis
represents20or 21 college level courses orabout60 credits.There are also differentkindsof
Bachelor’sdegrees:BA,BS,BSN,BSBA,etc. These are all four‐yeardegreesandrepresentthe
last2 yearsof college,the JuniorandSenioryears.If a studentstartedschool ata four‐year
college theywouldnotreceive anAssociate Degree.Theywouldattendforthe completionof
120 to 130 creditsand receive theirBachelor’sDegreeonly. All studentsworkingoneithertheir
Associate orBachelor’sDegreesare considered“undergraduates”. Whenyouhave a Bachelor’s
degree and youcontinue fora Master’sDegree,thenyouare considereda“graduate”student.
Thus,you wouldattend“graduate school”includingMaster’sandperhapsa Doctorate Degree.
Medical,Dental,Law,Pharmacy,Veterinaryschoolsare referredtoasProfessional Schools.
17. What is a traditional transfer student? Aboutone half to twothirds of the students ata
communitycollege are between18 to 24 yearsold. These are referredtoas traditional college
age students.If youhave the means,time,freedomanddesire tomove awaytocomplete your
college degree,thisisthe time todoit.At no othertime inyour life willthisopportunitypresent
itself.Youmighthave afavorite state youhave alwayswantedtolive in,aspecial activitythat
onlysome collegesofferorperhapsrelativesinanotherareayoumightreside with. Most

6. studentsremembertheiron-campuscollegeyearsassome of the most excitingtime intheirlife.
If you have to optionto“go away to college”byall meansdoit!
Timetable for Transfer Activities
You have 12 to 24 credits: Whenyoustart school be aware that youwill eventuallytransfertoafour‐
yearcollege tocomplete aBachelor’sDegree. Scanyourcollege catalogandlookat the index tosee if
there isa sectionontransfer. Visityourcollege’swebpage orcollege catalogforthe credentialsof your
college faculty,staff andmembersof the college administration. Whatcollegesdidtheyattend fortheir
degrees? Thisisa goodway to start a conversationwith aprofessororan advisor.Askthemwhere they
wentto college andaget themtalkingabout theirexperience there. Everyone lovesto talkabouttheir
“college days”andit’s a good ice breakertomeeta mentor.
24 to 36 credits:Drop intothe campus TransferCenter. Lookforpublicationsabouttransferoncampus.
Theyare usuallyavailable ontablesordisplaystands.Page throughthemandsee whatcatchesyour
eye. If youlive inNewJerseybe sure tosee www.NJTrnasfer.org. Thispage will show youeverycollege
inthe state,theirmajors,locations,costs,course equivalenciesandmore. Moststateshave a
comparable webpage.
36 to 48 credits:In yourSophomore yearyourtransfercollege searchshouldbecomeactive.Pickthree
collegesandvisittheirwebpages often. Lookfortransferstudenteventslike “OpenHouse”programs
and attendthem. Readwhat otherstudentsare sayingaboutthose schoolsonsocial media. Lookat
the college’sFacebookpage. Go there andvisit the campus. Meetthe staff,walkthe grounds,eatthe
food,lookat the dorms.Do you like it? Dotheyofferwhatyou want? Visitthe schoolsyouare
interestedinanddiscoverif theyhave amajoryouwant. Askyourself if youwantto be there forthe
nexttwoyears. Sharpenyourpencil andlookat theirtuitionandfeestodecide if youcan afford togo
there. Rememberthatsince yousavedmoneybyattendingacommunitycollege forthe firsttwoyears,
youcan relax andspenda little more onyourlasttwo years
48 to 60 credits: Applyforgraduationat your communitycollege. Be sure youare on track to graduate.
We call this - “to submita petition to graduate”. Your transferoptionsshouldbe limitedtojustone or
twocollegesbynow. There will be adate at whichyouneedtopay a deposit,usuallyabout$100.
Payingthisdepositisastatementthatyouare very likelytoattendthatcollege,but still doesnot
require youtoattend. A depositwill holdaspotforyouuntil a tuition paymentisrequired.Campus
housingdepositsare oftenrequiredaswell.Butyoumayhave otherplansfor yourroom and board;
perhapsyouplanto live off campus. Or youmay live home and commute toschool inyour car.
60 plus credits:At thistime youshouldbe finishingupyourdegree.Youmaybe inyour lastsemesteror
needa summersessiontocomplete yourAssociate Degree.Be readytotransfernow!
Informationaboutcollegesthatyoucannotfindonline canusuallybe foundin The CollegeBlue Book.
Thisis a collectionof 6 differentbooksyouwillfindinyourcollege library. PublishedbyMacMillian
Reference,USA Gale/Cengage Learning,these are intheir44th
edition. Youwill findjustabout
everythingyouwilleverneedtoknowaboutUS colleges fromdegreesofferedtoscholarshipsand
fellowshipsoffered.
Keepyoureye on your college webpage orportal fornewsabouttransferworkshopsofferedoncampus
and stopintothe TransferCenterfor more information.

7. Useful TransferWebSites:
www.NJTransfer.org Thissite allowsyoutonavigate the movementof NJcommunitycollege courses
and degreestofour-yearcollegesinthe state.
www.njcollege2collegetransfer.com Anexcellentresource forall transferstudentstoreference.
www.wes.org The WorldEducationServicesisusedbystudentsfromothercountriestransferringtheir
creditsintoUS collegesanduniversities.
www.bls.gov Thisgovernmentpage monitorsoccupationsinthe USwork force and provides
educational requirements.
www.chea.org The officialguide forinvestigatingalevel andtype of aninstitutions accreditation.