Acceptance of Transfer Students/Credit Policy

1. 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. 
2. Any such earned credit must meet the minimum College academic standards of a grade of “C” or better and must parallel the content of similar courses offered. The maximum amount of credit allowed to be transferred 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 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 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. Once a course is approved for transfer from a particular school, the course will be entered on a master list maintained by Student Services. 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 Vice President of Instruction, in consultation with the Chief Academic Officer. 
3. The responsibility for determining transfer credit from other colleges and universities rests with the Office of Student Services. 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 Vice President of Instruction, whose decision will be final. In such cases, the Vice President of Instruction will note the decision in the student’s academic file. Time limits may be imposed in certain situations, such as for health sciences programs. Student Services and the Vice President of Instruction will maintain a list of courses that have time limits for transfer. 
4. 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 Residency Determination Interview 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 Office of Student Services 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 academic Vice President, 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 as outlined below. Students must submit official AP test scores to the Office of Student Services for consideration of granting college credit.
      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 a CLEP transcript to the Office of Student Services for consideration of granting college credit.
      3. Educational Experiences in the Armed Services: Servicemen and veterans may be awarded college credit for service schools they have attended. The student must submit official military transcripts to be evaluated for credit. Only course credit recommended by American Council of Education (ACE) guides is granted Contact Student Services for more information.
      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. Students must have earned a minimum letter grade of a “C”, passed the final assessment with a proficiency of 70% or better or successfully passed the applicable credentialing exam. The appropriate academic Dean will approve non-curriculum course material prior to officially granting curriculum credit. Faculty teaching courses for which CE to CU credit may be awarded must meet all SACSCOC credential requirements.
      5. College Tech Prep Articulation: Through the statewide College Tech Prep Articulation agreement among high schools and community colleges and efforts of Surry Community College, Yadkin and Surry County Schools, and Elkin and Mt. Airy City Schools, students entering Surry Community College may receive college credit for a number of Career-Technical courses completed in high school. The current SCC College Tech Prep Articulation
5. International Transcripts If transfer credit is desired, the transcripts must be evaluate by an “evaluation service” before transfer credit can be considered. Evaluation from one of these services does not guarantee that SCC will accept the credits. Evaluation services should be members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. For a complete listing of members, visit National Association of Credential Evaluation Services.
6. 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. Students must have earned a minimum letter grade of a “C”, passed the final assessment with a proficiency of 70% or better or successfully passed the applicable credentialing exam. The appropriate Vice President of Instruction will approve non-curriculum course material prior to officially granting curriculum credit. Faculty teaching courses for which CE to CU credit may be awarded must meet all SACSCOC credential requirements. 

To review additional opportunities for awarding credits for prior learning, see the College’s Policy on Credits for Prior Learning.

NOTE: All transcripts and documents become property of Surry Community College and cannot be returned or re-issued. 

Approved by the Board of Trustees, November 13, 2023