A college history, math, or science course should be challenging for students. But transferring to a public university should be easy. That’s why the University of North Carolina System has enacted rules to make those transfers easier for undergraduates.
A new regulation from the UNC System will help to shorten a transfer student’s wait period for transcript review. After a student is accepted by a university for transfer consideration, that institution must review academic transcripts to see how many credits count toward a desired degree. Historically, the process has been time consuming due to reviews that require input from several departments.
The UNC System’s new rule draws on best practices from its own institutions, ensuring that any student who submits three or fewer transcripts to a System institution can expect a credit transfer evaluation within 15 business days. Those who submit four or more transcripts, including international transcripts, will receive an evaluation in 30 business days.
The regulation also ensures that the UNC System’s 1,400 transfer guides, available on College for North Carolina’s website, continue to be maintained and updated annually by North Carolina’s 16 public universities.
“Transfer students bring extraordinary talent to our universities and to our state,” said UNC System President Peter Hans. “We should never allow bureaucratic hurdles to stand between ambitious students and the opportunities they’ve earned.”
Last year, a national study showed that 80% of community college students aspire to earn a bachelor’s degree, but only a third succeed in transferring to a four-year institution.
In fall of 2024, 17,349 students transferred into UNC System institutions. Of those, more than 57% transferred from North Carolina Community Colleges. Nearly 40% were underrepresented minorities and just over 30% were adult learners.
Transfer solutions will continue to be a priority for the UNC System — helping institutions improve access for students, said Eric Fotheringham, assistant vice president for transfer student success and partnerships.
“Transfer students are often adults with careers, families, or military backgrounds, people with busy lives,” said Fotheringham. “A complicated transfer experience is understandably frustrating and can even cause some students to give up on their dream of completing their bachelor’s degree.” The new policy — which will be fully implemented by spring of 2026 — is designed to give those individuals the correct information to make college-going decisions. If certain credits don’t transfer, a student deserves to know that before they begin classes so that they do not waste time, money, and momentum. And the goal of the System is to improve every student’s timely degree completion, minimizing student debt after graduation, Fotheringham said.