News & Media

Transferring college credit is rarely as simple as moving the credit from one school to another. Every college reviews each incoming course against its own catalog, applies its own rules about grades and accreditation, and decides how each course will count toward the new degree. Knowing the rules up front saves time, tuition, and a lot of frustration. This is how transfer credit works at Lackawanna College, and what students and parents should expect from any U.S. college transfer.

What Transfer Credit Is

Transfer credit is formal recognition by a college or university that coursework completed at another institution counts toward the credits required for a new degree. When a school approves a transfer, the credit can apply three ways: as a direct equivalent of a specific course at the new school, as elective credit within a broader category, or as general credit toward graduation without filling a specific requirement.

The distinction matters. A course that transfers as elective credit may add to a student’s total credit count without shortening the time to a new degree, especially when a student changes majors or moves into a more specialized program. Students who plan their transfer in advance, with their target degree in mind, are far more likely to see credits apply where they expect.

The Grade Floor: C-Minus or Better

Most accredited U.S. colleges accept transfer credit only for courses completed with a grade of C-minus or better. Lackawanna applies the same standard. Courses graded D or F do not transfer, regardless of how well the course material aligns with the new school’s curriculum.

The rule applies equally to in-person, online, and hybrid courses. What the receiving school cares about is whether a student demonstrated meaningful competency in the material. Students considering a transfer should pull their transcripts and look honestly at each grade before applying. Any course with a D or F grade that’s required for the intended major will likely need to be retaken at the new school.

Accreditation Sets the Outer Limit

Accreditation determines whether credit can transfer at all. Credit from a regionally accredited institution generally transfers between accredited U.S. colleges. Credit from an unaccredited school, or from a school accredited only by bodies not recognized for traditional degree credit, often does not transfer no matter how strong the coursework was.

Lackawanna College accepts transfer credit from institutions accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, and the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities. Credit from institutions outside this list, from non-accredited institutions, or from foreign institutions is reviewed case by case and may require a professional transcript evaluation before any transfer is granted.

Students at the planning stage should verify a school’s accreditation before enrolling. The U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation both maintain searchable databases. A few minutes of verification at the start of a college career can prevent thousands of dollars in tuition spent on credit that won’t transfer later.

Key Takeaway: Two rules govern most transfer credit decisions: the grade must be a C-minus or better, and the sending institution must be appropriately accredited. Verify both before enrolling anywhere.

How Equivalency Review Works

Once a student is admitted as a transfer student and official transcripts arrive, the receiving college’s Registrar’s Office begins course-by-course equivalency review. The reviewer compares each transferred course against the receiving institution’s catalog and works with the appropriate academic department to determine whether the course matches an existing course, fills a general elective requirement, or doesn’t apply to the new degree.

General-education courses transfer cleanly most of the time. Composition, college algebra, introductory psychology, U.S. history — these courses have standard equivalents across U.S. colleges. Program-specific courses in specialized majors are more rigorous to evaluate because the receiving program is accredited against specific learning outcomes the prior coursework may not meet.

At Lackawanna, transfer evaluation for the Occupational Therapy Assistant, Physical Therapist Assistant, Nursing, RN-to-BSN, Sonography, and Surgical Technology programs follows program-specific accreditation standards and is more restrictive than the general transfer policy. Students transferring into these programs should expect a more detailed review and should be prepared to provide course syllabi, assignment lists, and other supporting documentation if requested.

Two additional rules limit older coursework. Transfer credit earned more than 20 years before a student’s application is reviewed at the discretion of the Registrar. Information Systems courses taken more than five years before application generally don’t transfer, because the field changes quickly enough that older coursework no longer reflects current practice.

AP, CLEP, and Credit by Examination

Advanced Placement (AP) and College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams are two of the most common ways students arrive at college with credit already in hand. Lackawanna grants credit for AP exams with a score of 3 or higher, and reviews CLEP exams case by case once an official score report arrives from the College Board. Specific course equivalencies vary by department.

Lackawanna also offers Credit by Examination for students who can demonstrate proficiency in specific subjects through work experience, military service, professional credentials, or independent study. Awarded credit is subject to the same departmental review and accreditation standards as transferred coursework. AP, CLEP, and Credit by Examination together can shave a semester or more off a student’s degree path when used effectively, which translates into meaningful tuition savings.

Planning an Associate-to-Bachelor’s Pathway in Pennsylvania

For Pennsylvania students who plan to earn a bachelor’s degree, starting at a regional two-year institution and transferring into a four-year program is one of the most cost-effective routes available. Lackawanna College supports that pathway in two ways.

First, Lackawanna’s associate degree programs articulate directly into Lackawanna’s own bachelor’s degree programs. The bachelor’s degrees currently offered are Business, Criminal Justice, Healthcare Administration, Hospitality Management, Human Services, Professional Studies – Writing, Restaurant & Foodservice Management (Baking & Pastry or Culinary Arts concentrations), and RN-to-BSN. A student who earns an AA or AS at Lackawanna can continue into the comparable BA or BS without restarting their coursework. Two notes: Healthcare Administration is open only to students completing a health sciences associate degree (not Health and Life Sciences), and RN-to-BSN is open only to active licensed registered nurses.

Second, Lackawanna has articulation agreements with regional four-year colleges and universities. An articulation agreement means coursework has been reviewed against the four-year institution’s catalog in advance, and a clear transfer pathway is established for specific majors. Articulation agreements remove most of the uncertainty from transfer planning — when a student knows in advance that specific Lackawanna coursework will be accepted at a specific four-year institution toward a specific degree, the academic and financial planning becomes much easier. Lackawanna’s Office of Advising Services maintains current transferability information for most local four-year colleges. Students considering a four-year pathway should book a session with an advisor early in their associate degree program to map out the full sequence.

Beyond the bachelor’s level, Lackawanna also maintains graduate degree pathways through partnerships with Peirce College, Wilkes University, and Marywood University. These pathways include tuition discounts, free first-course books, and waived application fees for accepted Lackawanna College students. Students whose long-term goals include graduate study should understand these partnerships while planning the undergraduate pathway.

Key Takeaway: Associate-to-bachelor’s planning works best when transfer pathways are mapped early — through Lackawanna’s internal AA/AS-to-BA/BS articulations, through articulation agreements with regional four-year institutions, and through advising sessions before significant tuition is spent.

If the Equivalency Decision Doesn’t Match Expectations

Equivalency reviews are professional judgments, and reasonable people sometimes disagree about whether two courses cover the same material. Most colleges have a formal appeal process, and Lackawanna is no exception. A student who wishes to appeal a transfer credit decision should contact the Registrar’s Office in writing and be prepared to submit supporting documentation — the course syllabus, sample assignments, grading rubrics, and any other materials that demonstrate course-objective equivalence. The course is then re-evaluated by the Registrar’s Office in consultation with the appropriate Division Chair. If the student is not satisfied with the result, the request can be reviewed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Students with strong supporting documentation regularly succeed on appeal. The lesson for current students is to save syllabi from every college course they take, keep at least one major assignment from each course on file, and document grades carefully. The few minutes of organization during a course become valuable evidence if a transfer decision later needs to be defended.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do transfer credits work?
Transfer credit is recognition by a new college that coursework completed at another college counts toward the new degree. The new school reviews each course against its own catalog, decides whether it matches an existing course or counts as elective credit, and applies the credit to the student’s degree audit. The grade, the institution’s accreditation, and the age of the coursework all affect whether and how a course transfers.

What grade do I need for a course to transfer?
At Lackawanna College and at most U.S. accredited institutions, only courses completed with a C-minus or better are considered for transfer. Courses with a D or F do not transfer, regardless of how closely they align with the new school’s curriculum.

Do online courses transfer the same way as in-person courses?
Yes. The C-minus minimum and the accreditation requirements apply equally to in-person, online, and hybrid coursework. What matters is whether the institution is appropriately accredited, not how the course was delivered.

How long are transfer credits good for?
At Lackawanna, transfer credit earned more than 20 years before a student’s application is reviewed at the discretion of the Registrar. Information Systems coursework taken more than five years before application generally doesn’t transfer. Most other coursework remains transferable for many years if the institution remains accredited and the grade meets the C-minus minimum.

Do AP and CLEP exam scores transfer?
Yes. Lackawanna grants credit for AP exams with a score of 3 or higher, and reviews CLEP exams case by case once an official score report arrives from the College Board. Course equivalencies vary by program.

Are there guaranteed transfer pathways between two-year and four-year colleges in Pennsylvania?
Articulation agreements between specific two-year and four-year institutions provide the closest thing to a guaranteed pathway. Lackawanna College maintains articulation agreements with regional public and private universities, and the Office of Advising Services can help students identify which pathways are available for their major and intended four-year destination. Booking an advising session early in an associate degree program is the single most useful step a student can take to ensure their credits transfer efficiently.