Reverse Transfer

What is Reverse Transfer?

It is the transfer of credits from a four-year institution to a two-year institution from which a student transferred from. It provides an opportunity for these students to receive an associate’s degree once they have earned a combined total of at least 60 credits from both institutions.

How will this program benefit students?

Eligible students can receive a first associate’s degree that accurately reflects their educational attainment and allows them to compete more successfully in higher education and the workforce, even as he or she continues working toward a bachelor’s degree or other certification or credential.

Note: A recent study conducted by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce reported that by 2020, 60 percent of jobs in Pennsylvania will require at least some post-secondary education. A separate report from the Lumina Foundation, titled It’s Not Just the Money, identifies a host of other benefits that accrue from having a college education—everything from better health to a longer life expectancy.

Who is eligible to participate in this program?

Students who have transferred to Shippensburg University (SU) benefit from Reverse Transfer agreements that have been established between all Pennsylvania Community Colleges and Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education, as well as an agreement that has been established between SU and Hagerstown Community College.

For students who began their post-secondary education at a community college in Pennsylvania, they must have earned at least 45 credits, including those earned through Prior Learning Assessment (PLA), Advanced Placement (AP), College Level Examination Program (CLEP), Credit by Exam and the military, before transferring to a SU, from which they have earned at least 15 additional credits, excluding remedial and developmental credits.

For those students who began their post-secondary education at Hagerstown Community College, they must have earned at least 15 credits before transferring to SU. They must have earned at least 60 or more credits in total (including transfer and SU credits), excluding remedial and developmental credits.

How will the degree be awarded?

Qualified students will fill out a Reverse Transfer Agreement Release form, which will allow transcripts and contact information to be sent to the community college for review. Once the review is complete, the community college will submit a new student transcript to SU that denotes the conferment of the associate’s degree.

Who will determine a student’s eligibility for receiving an associate’s degree?

The community college will review the eligible student’s transcripts and make that determination. It will use upper-level courses to fulfill the community college’s degree requirements when applicable. It also may determine if a student is eligible for an associate's degree in a program other than the intended program of study, based on courses completed at SU.