College Credit Questions
It is increasingly common for students to have college credit when they graduate from high school and to enroll in courses from more than one college. Students may take courses through distance learning or on-line, enroll at a community college or pick up a course over the summer. Whether it is a study abroad program, courses taken at another college for convenience, or a transfer from one college to another, students and parents often have questions about how credit transfers.
General Credit Transfer Information
How do I begin the Credit Transfer process?
If you have not yet done so, apply for admission to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the degree college of your choice. Request official transcripts from each college or university attended whether or nor courses were completed. Official transcripts should be sent directly to the Office of Admissions.
What is an official transcript?
An official transcript is sent directly from the registrar or records office of one institution to another college or university. There may be a fee for a transcript, and the transcript will not be issued if there is a hold on the student's records. An unofficial or student copy may be used for advising purposes, but an official transcript is required to transfer the credit.
I am planning to enroll at a community college and then transfer to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. How do I know what courses to take?
There are several resources to assist you. Nebraska Community Colleges have transfer advisers to assist you in making careful selections. The Transfer Course Guides for Nebraska Community Colleges will help with suggested courses for each UNL degree college. Transfer courses which have a UNL equivalent are listed in the Course Equivalency List. You may also meet with an adviser in your chosen UNL college. Remember that current UNL Students have priority, especially during registration times. Your transfer credit will be evaluated when you are admitted to UNL.
I am thinking of taking a course at another college while I am a student at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. How do I transfer the credit?
Discuss the course with your adviser before you enroll to make sure it will apply to your degree. If you take a course from another University of Nebraska campus, obtain an Inter-Campus Form. When the term is complete send an official transcript to the UNL Office of Admissions. Once your record has been updated, check with your adviser to make sure credit applied as you expected.
Will my credit transfer?
The answer is both simple and complex. Most credit can be transferred to University of Nebraska-Lincoln, but that is only part of the story. The real issue is whether the credit applies to the student's degree requirements. Because requirements vary, this answer will vary by college and by major.
How is credit evaluated?
The degree college within the university will determine how credit is applied to a student's particular degree requirements. Even if it doesn't apply to a student's degree, academic credit is never lost. It remains a part of the student's academic record.
How do I find out if a transfer course is equivalent to a course at University of Nebraska-Lincoln?
One helpful tool is the Transfer Course Equivalency List available on the admissions web site. This enables students to see if a particular course has been evaluated and its credit designation at UNL. Courses which have not been evaluated will initially transfer as general credit and must be evaluated by the degree college. A course syllabus and supporting documents may be required for evaluation.
What do transfer credit designations mean?
- Many transfer courses have been evaluated by University of Nebraska-Lincoln faculty and are established to be equivalent to UNL courses. These courses can fulfill degree requirements.
- Other courses transfer as subject credit such as math or history, but are not equivalent to a specific course. In some cases, even though a course has no equivalent UNL course, it may be substituted for a required course.
- Some courses transfer only as general elective credit . They count toward the total number of hours a student must earn toward graduation, but usually do not fulfill a specific degree requirement. Some majors and degree plans are quite specific and leave little room for elective credit.
- A smaller number of courses are more technical or specialized in nature and transfer as vocational credit. This type of credit has limited application to a university degree.
What is Credit by Exam?
Credit by Exam indicates college credit that is based on achieving a passing score on a national exam. The three most common forms of credit by exam are Advanced Placement (AP), College Level Exam Program (CLEP), and International Baccalaureate (IB). All three use national exams. Each college or university decides which exams it will accept for credit and what scores are required to award the credit. AP and CLEP are administered by College Board which also administers the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). You may find more information at their web site: http://www.collegeboard.com/testing/. IB is administered by International Baccalaureate Organization http://www.ibo.org/ibo/.
How are AP and IB similar?
Both Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses are high school courses which earn high school credit. College credit for each is based solely on national exam scores.
How are AP and IB different?
Advanced Placement (AP) courses are individual courses taught by qualified teachers for high ability students and follow the content and curricular goals developed and published by College Board. Qualified students may enroll in one or more AP courses.
IB or International Baccalaureate courses are rigorous courses that compose a challenging 2-year liberal arts curriculum that leads to a diploma and meets the requirements established by the International Baccalaureate program. Students taking these courses are in grades 11 and 12 and must meet all requirements and pass examinations in each subject area in order to receive the IB diploma. In some schools, students who are not seeking the IB diploma are allowed to take individual IB courses and the subsequent exams.
What is CLEP?
The College Level Exam Program (CLEP) offers exams administered by College Board which demonstrate college level achievement in a variety of subject areas. No specific course work is required to take an exam.
Are there fees to take exams?
IB - Check with your school. A limited number of schools in Nebraska offer the IB curriculum.
AP - Yes. See http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/about.html for current fees (2007 costs -- $83 per exam). Check with your high school for availability of AP courses.
CLEP - Yes. See http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/about.html for fees and test centers (July 2007 costs -- $65 per exam).
Are there fees associated with ordering score reports?
AP and CLEP send official reports to those colleges you specified when you registered for the exams. If you did not include University of Nebraska-Lincoln on your original exam registration you will need to have official score reports sent. The 2005 cost for AP is $15 per report. The 2005 cost for a CLEP Transcript is $20.
Is there a cost to record Credit by Exam?
AP and IB - No cost to record credit at University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
CLEP - Yes. In addition to the cost of taking CLEP examinations, payment for recording hours earned through CLEP is one-half of the resident tuition rate per credit hour.
Does University of Nebraska-Lincoln award Credit for AP, IB and CLEP?
Yes, for selected exams. See the Office of Admissions web page for specific exams and required scores for award of credit. http://nebraska.unl.edu/advanced/
Will Credit by Exam fulfill degree requirements?
Because requirements vary, this answer will vary by college and by major. Credit by exam will generally fulfill the same requirement as the University of Nebraska-Lincoln course listed.
Concurrent Enrollment and Dual Credit Enrollment
What is Concurrent Enrollment?
Concurrent Enrollment, sometimes called Dual Enrollment, occurs when a high school student is enrolled in high school and college courses at the same time (concurrently). College courses may be taught through distance learning, on-line, at an off campus site, or on the college or university campus.
Students generally must meet certain requirements to enroll in college courses while in high school. Courses are taught by university faculty, and the grades are posted on the college transcript. Students should be aware of all policies, including dates during which a student may withdraw without penalty. Official transcripts of all courses attempted are required with an application to University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Credit from any other institution would be considered transfer credit.
How are Dual Credit Courses different from Concurrent Enrollment?
Dual Credit Enrollment is a specific type of concurrent enrollment in which a high school student receives both high school credit and college credit for the same course. Courses are often taught at the high school, but might also be on the college campus or through distance learning. The college offering credit authorizes the faculty member to teach college courses. Grades are posted to both the high school transcript and the college transcript.
What are the costs associated with Concurrent Enrollment or Dual Credit Enrollment?
Students may be responsible for all or part of the cost of college tuition, books, and fees. Some high schools have programs to pay part of the cost. There may be a charge for an official transcript, required by University of Nebraska-Lincoln to transfer credit from another institution.
Will University of Nebraska-Lincoln accept Concurrent Enrollment or Dual Credit?
If the course is taken through University of Nebraska-Lincoln, it will be on the student's UNL transcript. If the course is taken at any other college or university, it would be considered transfer credit, and would require an official transcript for evaluation. Each degree college determines how transfer credit will apply to a specific degree program. See http://www.unl.edu/nuhusker/transferequiv.html to find out if a transfer course has an equivalent course at University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
How does Concurrent or Dual Credit differ from Credit by Exam (AP, IB, CLEP)?
A grade in a college course is the basis for Concurrent or Dual Credit. All grades, successful or not, are posted on an official transcript and may affect Admissions decisions and the student's Grade Point Average (GPA). Official transcripts of all courses attempted are required with an application to University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Credit by Exam is based on a passing score on a national exam. To earn credit for an exam, the student must have a passing score on an official score report. UNL publishes a list of exams and scores required to award credit. Credit by Exam does not affect a student's GPA at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. There is no penalty for unsuccessful attempts.
