It’s not as easy as it sounds! Students are often shocked when they learn that their 2-year degree doesn’t automatically transfer well on their way to a 4-year degree. Let’s look at what you can expect.
Sometimes picking up an associate degree adds time and cost to a plan when your ultimate goal is a bachelor’s degree! When your plan (your teen’s plan) involves earning an associate degree, part of that decision should be to consider your expectations for furthering your education.
When a associate degree most certainly will NOT be the last degree earned, consideration about what will happen during credit transfer. The following infographic gives a good overview of the most common scenarios.
In the Homeschooling for College Credit community, we have a 2 situations that come up every week. Both are VERY important!
(1) Your teen is earning a lot of low-cost alternative college credit and finds a college that accepts the credit toward an associate degree. If your teen plans to further their education at the same college toward a bachelor’s degree, this is a great plan. The associate degree will likely nest well inside the bachelor’s degree and you’ll have an excellent transition. The trouble lies in the family that wants to pursue a bachelor’s degree elsewhere. In this case, be aware that the “degree” will likely not influence how their credit is accepted at the new college, and they could lose a LOT of credit! In other words, if your target college doesn’t accept CLEP or Sophia, earning an associate degree won’t change that.
(2) Your teen is earning a lot of low-cost or free college credit through a local dual enrollment program. Teens in this situation should investigate whether or not their dual enrollment provider has the degree they want, or, a transfer agreement with another school. In some states, there are written articulation agreements that guarantee the perfect transfer from your community college into your state university. These agreements assure the best possible transfer and result in little to no credit loss!
Homeschooling for College Credit Resources for Families Considering an Associate Degree
Associate Degree in High School?
It can shorten your teen’s time and cost, in some cases, but in many cases it’s an expensive distraction that can create some issues. Why not? Degree planning takes a lot work, brain space, and the desire to work outside of the college system. Degree planning is the aggressive accumulation of college credit that matches up with…
Will it Transfer? That’s the Wrong Question! Use the HS4CC Checklist
How to plan college credits while your teen is in high school so they will transfer (count) toward their degree after high school. A well-meaning warning usually sounds like this: “You better be sure to check with your kid’s college to make sure that class will transfer!” Unfortunately, colleges don’t work like that. That…
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