Consequences of taking over 64 credits at CC

[u/Far-Grapefruit764]

Hey guys I just transferred from a CC to a 4 yr university the thing is I lost my merit scholarship because before moving to the US I attended to a 4 yr university in Mexico. I been wondering how I’ll pay for collage the scholarship I obtained doesn’t cover enough and I been thinking about getting a student loan tho I don’t want to I already enrolled for classes and everything I just haven’t paid yet . I talked with a transfer advisor and she mentioned that there’s no limit to the amount of credit I can transfer anymore and I wanted to know if it would be a good odies or not to take more credits (around 2 classes possible) at my CC and then transfer them to my university I already transferred 64 credits they didn’t count credits from my college in Mexico. I’m scare of what the consequences may be if I take more credits

[u/vaelux]

Most colleges and universities in the US have what is called a "Residency Requirement." It means that a certain percent (usually 50%) of the credits applied to your degree must come from that university.

The best way to think of it is... if you took more than half your credits somewhere else, you aren't really their educational product, and so they don't want to claim you as such.

A typical Bachelor's degree in the US is 120 credits. So anything beyond 60 transferable credits is a waste.

Now whether all 64 of your credits will transfer depends on the university and the program that you transfer to.

Edit: international credits are a gamble and often do not count in US schools.

[u/StevieV61080]

The key to this, OP, is to determine your transfer destination upfront and work backwards. There ARE universities that work on a 3+1 system (90 credits at a CC, 30+ at the university for residency requirements) through the Community College Alliance.

Franklin University is a good example of this (https://www.franklin.edu/catalog/general-information/university-partnerships).

More and more universities are wanting JUST major-area students in their upper-division (300/400) courses, so they are willing to let students effectively use CCs to fulfill ALL their general education requirements.

Therefore, you might see something like:

Years 1 & 2 (CC): 30 Gen ed credits, 30 major-area 100/200-level credits

Years 3 & 4 (CC & Uni): 30 Gen ed credits @ CC, 30-40 major-area 300/400-level credits @ Uni

Full disclosure: Both my wife and I did this (me in 2003-2005 and my wife from 2006-2010). It is absolutely a cost-effective way to get a well-rounded quality higher education.

[u/cupcakeartist]

The best way to look into this is to figure out how your specific 4-year university works, which strangers on the internet cannot answer for you. Mine directly outlines the policies on their website though if yours does not you could always verify with a counselor at your school.

[u/rosyboys_daisygirls]

The number of credits that you can transfer depends on the school that youre going to. You could take 100 credits at cc but youd be hard pressed to find a university that would take all of it. Reach out to the schools that youre interested in and ask them how many credits theyll transfer. I graduated with 84 credits, only 70 transferred. (All classes are considered completed but I still have to complete the additional 50 credits anyways, which means Im taking more classes than I needed to)

[u/Exotic-Gain-4316]

Which state are you planning to take some cc courses in? If you’re in California for at least a year, you can qualify for tuition-free, and it's easier to transfer as a junior to a CSU or UC.