5.1.8 Articulation and Transfer

Adopted: January 2012
Modified: January 2014
Last Reviewed: January 2015
Scope: Students
Contact: Registrar
References: SBTCSG Policy 5.1.8, SBTCSG Procedure 5.1.8p
Forms: Exemption Credit Payment Form

Under appropriate circumstances, students may be awarded academic credit for coursework completed at other institutions, or for other forms of training/education that are comparable to courses offered at Lanier Technical College.

Transfer of College Credit

A student may receive credit for courses taken at another postsecondary institution if:

The course taken has essentially the same content and is taught at a comparable or higher level as the course at Lanier Technical College;
An official transcript is on file in the student's admission file from all post-secondary institutions attended;
The course has an equal or greater number of credit hours as the course at Lanier Technical College;
A grade of "C" or higher has been earned for the course to be transferred;

Students who wish to receive transfer credit for coursework completed at another institution must complete a Request for Transfer Credit form in the Office of Student Affairs. Students receiving VA benefits must submit a Request for Transfer Credit form if they have ever attended another post-secondary institution. If the student submits the request by the term deadline stated on the Request for Transfer Credit form, the College will make a determination and communicate to the student the decision by the end of the given term.

Some courses are subject to a time limit for transferability. The Office of the Registrar provides a list of these courses.

Learning Support classes may not be transferred.

A grade of "TR" will be entered on the permanent record if credit is awarded. The hours will not be computed in the grade point average.

Transfer Credit from Regionally Accredited Institutions

The Office of the Registrar will normally award transfer credit for coursework taken at regionally accredited institutions, provided the above conditions are met and the student's previous institution is in good standing with its accrediting body.

Transfer Credit from Non-Regionally Accredited Institutions

For coursework taken at non-regionally accredited institutions, the Office of the Registrar and the Academic Affairs division determine the transferability of courses taken at other postsecondary institutions by considering the educational quality of the learning experience for which students seek transfer credit. The Office of the Registrar mails a Faculty Credential Verification Form to the previous institution. The VPAA validates the credentials of the faculty who taught the course(s). The Office of the Registrar, the VPAA, and — when appropriate — faculty credentialed in the field evaluate the comparability of the nature, content, and level of the learning experiences to the courses offered at Lanier Technical College; the appropriateness and applicability of the learning experiences to the programs offered at Lanier Technical College; and the length of time that has passed since the course was taken. In cases where course equivalency is questioned, credit must be validated by examination.

Transient Credit

A transient student is a student who is currently enrolled at one postsecondary institution seeking to take classes at another postsecondary institution. At LTC, students must obtain permission from their program advisor before applying as a transient student to other postsecondary institutions.

To ensure coursework and learning outcomes are at the collegiate level, LTC requires that associate degree level educational coursework taken as a transient student be taken at a regionally accredited institution. However, if students cannot find the associate degree course offered at a regionally accredited college, they must request a "Faculty Credentials Form" be sent from the Registrar's office at LTC to the Registrar of the non-regionally accredited host institution. The Registrar will confer with the Vice President of Academic Affairs to ensure the faculty credentials meet the credentialing requirements of Lanier Tech.

Grading procedures for transient students are the same as for traditional students. Therefore, the transient student's grade wil be sent from the host school to LTC (home school) for recording of the grade upon completion of the course. The grade becomes a part of the student's permanent record. The transient grades are entered as transfer credit ("TRA", "TRB", or "TRC") and the hours included in the total number of earned hours, but do not affect the student's GPA.

Articulated Credit

Students who graduated from a Georgia high school within the previous 24 months may be eligible to earn credit for high school coursework. Students wishing to receive articulated credit must complete a Request for Articulated Credit Form in the Office of Student Affairs, and complete a validation exam for each course selected. Credit will be awarded in cases where the student scores 70% or higher on the validation exam for the course.

Exemption Credit

Exemption credit is awarded when the student successfully completes an examination equivalent to the course's final comprehensive examination. The student must present satisfactory evidence that he/she has prior knowledge of a particular subject before being eligible to test. Such evidence may be in the form of a portfolio, job description, letter from an employer, certificate of completion from a noncredit program, transcript from a non-accredited program, or similar documentation. The course instructor makes the determination whether or not the student is eligible to test. In order to take an exemption evaluation, the student must complete an Exemption Credit Payment Form.

Advanced Placement Credit

CLEP: Credit will be awarded for successful completion of any appropriate CLEP (College Level Examination Program) subject area examinations. Credit should be awarded based on score recommendations of the Council on College Level Services.

Advanced Placement Examinations: Credit will be awarded to students who have taken appropriate courses (determined equivalent to courses offered at a Technical College) in high school and achieve a score of 3 or more on the Advanced Placement Examination. The Advanced Placement Examinations are offered by the College Entrance Examination Board.

International Baccalaureate Credit: Credit will be awarded to students who have taken appropriate courses (determined equivalent to courses offered at a Technical College) in high school and achieve a score of 3 or more on the International Baccalaureate Examination. The IB Examinations are offered by the International Baccalaureate Examination Board.

Armed Services Credit

Armed Services Credit may be awarded for education/training courses in the Armed Services. Such learning experiences must be certified by the American Council on Education (identified in the Council's publication, Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services). Credit is given on the basis of individual evaluation. Creditable military experience must closely correspond in content and competencies to courses in the Lanier Technical College curriculum. The student must complete a Request for Transfer Credit Form.

Prior Learning Assessment

In some instances, Lanier Technical College will grant transfer credit for industry certifications or professional licenses. In order to receive credit for program courses, students who apply to programs after completing industry certification and/or licenses must submit appropriate documentation to the Registrar’s Office and complete a Request for Transfer Credit Form. Consulting the parameters listed in the Professional Certification and Licensure Credit Chart, the transfer credit specialist will award appropriate transfer credit subject to approval by the Registrar.

Residency Requirement

In order to obtain an award from Lanier Technical College, a student must complete at least 25% of the curriculum requirements through instruction offered by Lanier Technical College.