Top 5 Things Students Want to Know About Reverse Transfer

1. What is reverse transfer?

For those who are not familiar with reverse transfer, if students have earned credits at an associate degree-granting institution (two-year) and transferred to another institution (typically a four-year bachelor’s institution), they can send earned college credits back to the associate degree-granting institution to be evaluated for a possible degree.

2. What are the benefits of earning an associate degree through reverse transfer?

There are many benefits for students who earn their associate degree through reverse transfer. For starters, an associate degree provides students with a recognized and meaningful credential that can increase their potential for getting a job and for earning a raise. Studies show that completing an associate degree yields on average approximately $4,600 to $7,200 per annum in extra earnings compared to entering college but not completing an award. In addition, the research shows some states realize an increase of 5-18 percent in degrees at the state level, indicating that a student who gets a degree because of reverse transfer is more likely to stay and complete his/her bachelor’s degree. 

3. What requirements do students need to get a reverse transfer degree?

• Must have attended an associate degree-granting institution and earned a certain number of credits/courses at the associate degree-granting institution
• Must have earned a total of 60 credits or more from all institutions attended
• Ask the associate degree-granting institution if they would be willing to evaluate their earned credits for a degree since attending their institution and what are the eligibility rules.

4. How long can a student be out of school and still earn a reverse transfer degree?

Each associate degree-granting institution has different policies regarding accepting credits over time. Some will accept the credits no matter how long ago, while other institutions have limits on the timeframe.

5. What if your institution isn’t participating with the Clearinghouse’s Reverse Transfer service?

With nearly 400 institutions nationwide participating in the Reverse Transfer service, the Clearinghouse is committed to helping all students receive the degree they have earned. To learn how your institution can join the movement, please contact the Reverse Transfer Support Team at rtsupport@studentclearinghouse.com.

To learn more on how Reverse Transfer can help your school and students, visit reversetransfer.org.

With an increase of anywhere from 5-18 percent at the state level in degrees at four-year schools, research shows that students who get degrees because of reverse transfer are more likely to stay and complete their bachelor degrees.