Transfer terminology glossary

AA — Associate of Arts

A two-year transfer-oriented degree emphasizing humanities, social sciences, and general education. The most common credential for students planning to transfer into a liberal arts bachelor's program.

AS — Associate of Science

A two-year transfer-oriented degree emphasizing math and natural sciences. Typical for students transferring into STEM, pre-med, engineering, and quantitative social sciences.

AAS — Associate of Applied Science

A two-year career-and-technical degree designed for direct workforce entry. AAS credits frequently do not transfer to four-year programs; verify before enrolling if you intend to transfer.

AA-T / AS-T — Transfer Associate Degree

A statutorily defined associate degree (used in California and a growing number of states) that guarantees junior standing at any in-state public university for the holder.

Articulation agreement

A signed document between two institutions that specifies which courses transfer and how they count. The single most important document in transfer planning.

Articulation table

The course-by-course list inside an articulation agreement. Typically published as a PDF on the receiving university's registrar website.

Block transfer

A model in which an entire associate degree transfers as a unit, satisfying all of the receiving university's general-education requirements at once.

CCN — Common Course Numbering

A statewide system in which courses with the same content carry the same prefix and number across all in-state public colleges, simplifying transfer.

Credit cap

The maximum number of community college credits the receiving university will count toward the bachelor's. Typically 60–70 semester hours.

Credit-by-waiver

Credit awarded for prior coursework or knowledge without retaking the class, often via departmental challenge exam.

Dual enrollment

Earning college credit while still in high school. These credits often transfer with the student to the community college, then onward to the bachelor's.

FAFSA

Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The single application that opens the door to federal Pell Grants, federal student loans, and most state and institutional aid.

Flagship university

The principal public research university in a state — typically the most selective and the most common upper-division destination for in-state community college transfers.

GE — General Education

The lower-division distribution requirements (English, math, sciences, humanities, social sciences) that every bachelor's student must complete.

Guaranteed transfer admission

An agreement under which a community college student who meets defined GPA and coursework thresholds is automatically admitted to the receiving university.

IGETC

Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum — California's general-education pattern recognized by the UC and CSU systems.

Junior standing

Status as a third-year student. The transfer-student goal: arrive at the four-year university already classified as a junior, with all GE done.

Lower-division coursework

Courses numbered 100–299, typically taken in the freshman and sophomore years. Most community college coursework is lower-division.

Major prep

The specific lower-division courses required to enter the receiving university's department as a junior — usually two to four courses.

MAP — Major Articulation Pathway

A program-specific articulation map showing which community college courses satisfy a particular major at a receiving university.

Net price

Tuition and fees minus all grant aid. The number that actually matters when comparing the cost of a community college to a four-year institution.

NSC — National Student Clearinghouse

A non-profit that maintains official enrollment and degree records and electronically delivers transcripts between institutions.

Pell Grant

The federal need-based grant available to undergraduate students. Maximum award is approximately $7,400 per academic year.

Reverse transfer

A program that retroactively awards an associate degree to a student who transferred to a four-year university before completing the AA/AS, once enough four-year coursework satisfies the missing requirements.

Receiving institution

The four-year university to which a student transfers. The opposite of the 'sending institution' (the community college).

Senior institution

A synonym for receiving institution.

TAG — Transfer Admission Guarantee

A formal, application-based guarantee of admission to a specific receiving university for community college students who meet defined criteria.

TAP — Transfer Articulation Program

A general term used by various state systems for institutional articulation arrangements.

Tuition reciprocity

An agreement between states that lets students from a partner state pay reduced (often in-state-equivalent) tuition at participating universities.

Transferable course

A course that has been evaluated and accepted by the receiving university for credit toward a bachelor's degree.

Transfer GPA

The grade point average calculated from coursework taken at the community college, used by receiving universities for transfer admission decisions.

Transfer rate

The percentage of community college students who transfer to a four-year institution within a defined window, usually six years.

Transcript

The official, sealed record of all coursework, grades, and credentials earned at an institution. Receiving universities require official transcripts from every prior institution.

Two-plus-two (2+2)

The standard transfer pathway: two years at a community college, then two years at a four-year university.

Upper-division coursework

Courses numbered 300 and above, typically taken in the junior and senior years at a four-year institution.

Wraparound advising

Coordinated advising that follows the student from community college enrollment through transfer and bachelor's completion at the receiving institution.