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Students working toward a Tarrant County College (TCC) associate degree or certificate of completion will have prior transcripts automatically evaluated once all transcripts are on file. Students who have indicated they are not degree-seeking will not have automatic transcript evaluation but can change their intent by contacting an Admissions and Registrar Office. Transfer credit for students receiving federal financial aid and/or VA benefits must be evaluated; students cannot receive these types of aid for courses they have previously completed.
Students transferring to TCC can expect that approved academic courses earned at any Texas public institution will be accepted in transfer as long as a passing grade was earned and TCC has an equivalent course. Elective credit may be awarded when TCC does not offer an equivalent course in content or credit hours. Students who dispute a transfer credit evaluation decision made by TCC should contact the District Admissions and Records Office to request a review of the coursework involved.
Students planning to transfer TCC coursework to another college or university are advised to contact the transfer institution to determine its transfer policy. TCC has established transfer agreements with area colleges and universities. Campus Transfer Centers maintain transfer information provided by area institutions and help students with transfer planning.
Prior Learning Assessment
Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) is a process for assessing learning gained outside a traditional post-secondary academic environment. PLA includes learning acquired through standardized exams, military service and training, work experience, professional certifications and licenses, and non-credit courses. PLA evaluates what a student already knows at the college level derived from these experiences.
A student must meet the following requirements to be eligible for PLA credit:
- Complete at least one full semester (fall, spring, summer) at Tarrant County College, and
- Be enrolled at Tarrant County College during the semester credit is awarded; and
- Have successfully completed (grade of “C” or better) six semester credit hours at Tarrant County College prior to posting PLA credit.
Credit awarded through PLA does not satisfy the residency requirement toward graduation. The successful completion of any PLA will result in a grade of credit (CR) on the student’s official record or transcript, which does not affect a student’s grade point average.
A PLA fee of $25 per course is assessed to award credit. There is no PLA fee associated with Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma, military-related credit, or CE to UG cross-listed courses. Fees are charged in accordance with schedules set by TCC policy and/or commercial testing agencies.
Tarrant County College accepts the following methods for validating prior learning and awarding credit:
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Standardized Exams
- Advanced Placement (AP) - Students who took rigorous college-level work while in high school may receive credit if they have successfully completed the AP course exam with a score of “3” or higher.
- College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) - Students who exhibit mastery of a college subject through a CLEP exam may receive credit.
- International Baccalaureate Diploma - Students who have received the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma may be eligible to receive up to 24 hours of transfer credit for courses completed with a minimum grade of four (4).
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Credit-by-Examination/Experience (CBE)
Students who believe they already possess the knowledge and/or skills taught in certain courses or programs offered by the College may challenge these through credit-by-examination/experience. A request to challenge a course for credit may be based on achievement in the subject, non-traditional education, appropriate work, and/or other learning experiences. Credit-by-examination/experience is not available for all courses offered by TCC.
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Professional Certifications and Licenses
Students who possess a current professional certification or license may request credit for eligible courses associated with the declared or intended program of study.
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Continuing Education to Undergraduate (CE to UG)
Students may be eligible to earn academic (UG) credit for non-credit continuing education (CE) cross-listed courses taken at Tarrant County College.
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Military Service/Training
Students may receive credit for military service who have a) graduated from a public or private high school accredited by a generally recognized accrediting organization, a Department of Defense high school, or earned a High School Equivalency diploma; and b) were honorably discharged after serving at least two years of service in the Armed Forces or were honorably discharged because of a disability.
To request credit, the military/veteran should submit a Joint Services Transcript (JST) to TCC for evaluation.
Transfer to a College/University
Students attending Tarrant County College before transferring to a senior college or university will have the best experience in transferring credits if these steps are followed:
- Consider participating in one of the dual admission partnerships TCC participates in.
- Select a major field of study and a senior college or university that offers a bachelor’s degree in that field.
- Review the selected institution’s college catalog and identify the freshman and sophomore courses suggested.
- Understand that there may be limits on the number of TCC credit hours that can transfer to a senior institution.
- See a TCC career advisor or Transfer Center for help in selecting the TCC courses that correspond to the requirements of the senior college.
- Complete the TCC courses with a grade point average of at least 2.0 and a passing grade in each course intended to transfer (some senior institutions require a “C” grade or better for each course to transfer).
- Apply for admission to the senior college no later than the last semester at TCC.
- Request an official transcript be sent to the transfer institution at time of application and when all TCC final grades and credentials are posted to the TCC transcript.
AAS to BAAS Pathways
The AAS to BAAS Transfer Collaborative brings together North Texas Community College Consortium (NTCCC) colleges along with public and private universities across North Texas. This collaborative has created a common template to display guided pathways from all community college AAS degrees to university BAAS degrees. AAS-BAAS guided pathways are not intended to replace a degree audit but to function as a guided pathway for students, leading to informed decision-making.
For more information about TCC’s AAS-BAAS pathways, visit the NTCCC Transfer Collaborative website.
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