Administrative Regulation:  Accepting Transfer/Alternative Credit

Regulation Number: 4.4.2

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Acceptance of Credit from Other Higher Education Institutions

 

Definitions:  Credit for Prior Learning/Prior Learning Assessment – Terms for various methods that colleges, universities, and other education or training providers use to evaluate learning that has occurred outside of the traditional academic environment. Acceptance of Credit from Other Higher Education Institutions

 

Acceptance of Transcripted Credit

Eastern Wyoming College Board Policy 4.4 identifies the requirements and criteria by which transfer credit shall be evaluated and accepted to fulfill program credit requirements. If a student plans to complete a degree or certificate with applicable transfer credit, an official transcript must be sent directly to EWC from each institution where the credits were earned.

 

  • EWC will only accept transfer credit from post-secondary institutions accredited by one of the six regional accrediting associations. Credits earned at nationally accredited or unaccredited institutions are not transferable to EWC.
  • Only courses which are applicable to students’ EWC degree or certificate requirements are generally accepted in transfer.
  • Courses accepted in transfer MUST match the content and meet or exceed the rigor of the accepting institution as determined by the professional judgment of the transfer evaluator or department chair.
  • The college may examine credits to ensure that the content is not outdated or obsolete. Some courses that are more than 10 years old may not be transferable. In addition, science courses must be no more than 7 years old for some health programs (please check with the department).
  • The official EWC transcript will include courses taken at the institution and those credits approved by the registrar.
  • Courses will be transcribed with EWC course number, title, prefix and the number of credits awarded by the transferring institution.
  • Grades for transfer courses will be recorded in the student information system and show on the official transcript. Grades for transfer courses are not included in the Grade Point Average.
  • Prerequisite courses below the 100 level will not be accepted in transfer and will not appear on the transcript, but will be noted in the student’s record.
  • A grade of “C” or better, “P”, “S” (when representing at least “C” level work or better) is required for transfer. Transfer credit will not be awarded for courses with “D”, “F”, or “U” grades.
  • There is no limit to the amount of credit transferred into EWC; however, no more than 75% of degree or certificate requirements may be completed using transfer credit. At least 25% of degree or certificate requirements must be earned at EWC.
  • Upper-level courses can be accepted in transfer IF the course can be equated to an EWC course.
  • Elective courses that do not equate to an EWC course will be listed with the “Elective” (ELECT) prefix, with the appropriate course level and title.
  • Quarter hours and other non-standard credit hours that are accepted in transfer will be converted into semester credit hours.

 

Transfer of Credits for VA Beneficiaries

The evaluation of previous post-secondary education and training is mandatory and required for VA beneficiaries. For students utilizing Veterans benefits who are approved for transfer credit because of credit evaluation, the institution will grant appropriate credit, reduce the program length proportionately, notify the student and Veterans Affairs in writing of this decision, and adjust invoicing of the VA accordingly.

 

Transfer of International Credits

Students who have attended international institutions and want their credits evaluated for transfer must first have the international transcripts evaluated by a recognized member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) and have an official copy of their course-by-course credit evaluation report sent directly to EWC. A complete list of approved NACES members can be found at www.naces.org/members.html. EWC will perform a transfer credit evaluation only after the student has declared a degree program and submitted both a Transfer Credit Evaluation Request form and an official copy of their NACES course-by-course credit evaluation report. Students may also be required to provide English-translated course descriptions for courses that they wish to have transferred.

 

Credit from Baccalaureate Granting Institutions: Lower division credits earned by students enrolled in baccalaureate granting institutions (accredited by nationally recognized regional accrediting associations) of higher education which are applicable to BA or BS degrees shall be accepted as meeting the general education requirements for the AA or AS degrees with the exception of the Wyoming constitution requirement.

 

Students who transfer to EWC from other post-secondary institutions may be eligible for federal aid in accordance with established U.S. Department of Education and EWC guidelines. Hours transferred from any prior institution(s) are counted in both attempted and completed hours for Satisfactory Academic Progress and Maximum Timeframe calculations.

 

Prior student loan and Pell Grant accumulation may affect a student’s federal financial aid eligibility at EWC. A student’s Satisfactory Academic Progress status from other institutions attended may be reviewed to determine financial aid eligibility as well.

 

Students transferring to EWC between the Fall and Spring semesters should be notified that financial aid does not “automatically” transfer from one school to another. The amount and type of aid offered may differ due to variations in the schools’ costs of attendance, funding available, and academic requirements. Annual and aggregate federal aid limits apply.

 

Students must add EWC’s school code, 003929, to their FAFSA in order for EWC to evaluate their federal aid eligibility. Official transcripts from all previous institutions must be submitted to EWC to determine credits for Maximum Time Frame calculations. Students should contact the EWC Financial Aid Office for assistance with the transfer process.

 

Alternative Options for Awarding EWC Credit

The College may grant a maximum of 40 credit hours for life experience learning toward an associate degree. Transfer of these life experience credits to other institutions, however, is at their discretion. Grades on these courses are noted as either S or U on the student’s transcripts.

 

 

The College may grant these credits to a current EWC student by:

 

a. Institutional Challenge Exams

Institutional Challenge examinations are available for some courses. Students showing proficiency by passing challenge examinations can be given credit up through the level of demonstrated proficiency. For details about challenge exam availability, the student should contact the appropriate Department Head/Program Director. Grades of S and U are given in all institutional challenge exams. Such credit is not included in a student’s grade point average (GPA). The grade of S would be equivalent to “C” or better. Entries will be made on the student’s transcript only if the grade of S is obtained and only if the student enrolls at EWC in a degree program. Students should be aware that while credit may be awarded through such exams by Eastern Wyoming College, not all institutions will accept transfer credit earned through these methods. A fee will be assessed for each examination.

b. Advanced Placement Examination

Students showing proficiency by passing examinations such as College Entrance Examination Board Advanced Placement Program (CEEB-APP) or American College Testing-Proficiency Examination Program (ACT-PEP) may earn EWC college credit for demonstrated proficiency to a maximum of 15 semester credit hours. Grades of S and U are given in all examinations. Credit by advanced placement examination is not included in the student’s grade point average but counts in hours earned toward graduation. The grade of S is the equivalent of “C” or better (APP score of 4 or 5). Entry on the student’s transcript for credit by examination is made only if a grade of S is obtained and is noted as a grade obtained by examination. Students should be aware that while credit may be awarded through exams for Eastern Wyoming College requirements, not all institutions will accept transfer credit earned through these methods.

c. DSST (DANTES Subject Standardized Tests)

Students showing proficiency in content areas as demonstrated by the DANTES (Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support) Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) may receive EWC college credit. Students may earn credit through these exams by scoring at or above the minimum scores established by Eastern Wyoming College. A maximum of 15 semester hours of credit by examination may be earned toward EWC graduation requirements. DSST examinations are administered by appointment only in the Center for Testing and Career Services. For copies of the DANTES policy and information about scheduling an appointment, call 307.532.8288. A fee is assessed for each DSST examination plus an administration fee of $15.

d. College Level Examination Program

Eastern Wyoming College administers subject examinations of the College Level Examination Program (CLEP). CLEP examinations may not be repeated within six months from the time the examinations were administered. Students may earn credit through the subject examinations by scoring at or above the score recommended by the Council on College-Level Examinations. Entries on the student’s records will state that the credits earned were by CLEP examinations along with the title of the examination. A maximum of 15 semester hours of credit by examination may be earned toward EWC graduation requirements.

 

Students may designate the institution they wish to receive their scores and should be aware that not all colleges have the same policies regarding acceptance of credit by examination. Therefore, students should confirm with the college or university to which they are transferring that the credit by examination will transfer. The transfer of CLEP scores to EWC from other accredited institutions will be determined by the Vice President for Student Services.

 

CLEP examinations are administered by appointment only in the Center for Testing and Career Services. For an appointment, call 307.532.8288. A fee is assessed for each CLEP examination.

 

CLEP exams may be subject to change, contact the Center for Testing and Career Services for current listing.

 

References:        Board Policy 4.4 – Transfer Credit

Board Policy 5.0 – Admission of Students

Administrative Regulation 5.0.1 – Admission of Students

 

Original Adoption Date: 10/21/24

Revision Date(s):

Date Reviewed, no change