Transfer Credit and VA Benefits: Complete VASCO Guide
Master transfer credit evaluation, certification rules, and benefit impact. Learn how transfer credits affect full-time status, rate of pursuit, and entitlement usage for VA students.
Transfer Students Are the Norm, Not the Exception
According to the National Student Clearinghouse, nearly 40% of all college students transfer schools at least once. For veteran students, this percentage is even higher due to military relocations and transitions. Understanding transfer credit rules is essential for every VASCO—not just a specialized skill.
Transfer Credit Basics: What VASCOs Need to Know
Transfer credit refers to academic credit earned at one institution that is accepted toward a degree program at another institution. For VA purposes, proper handling of transfer credit is critical because it affects:
Impact of Transfer Credit on VA Benefits
Credits Remaining to Graduate
Transfer credits reduce the number of credits the student needs to take (and therefore how much benefit will be used)
Rate of Pursuit Calculations
Only courses that count toward the current degree program can be certified for VA benefits
Benefit Exhaustion Timeline
Students with significant transfer credit may complete their degree faster, potentially leaving unused benefits
Degree Plan Verification
VASCOs must verify transfer students' degree plans to ensure only required courses are certified
Key Principle: VA Benefits Pay for "Required Courses" Only
The VA will only pay for courses that are required for the student's current degree program. If transfer credits have already satisfied certain requirements, the student cannot use VA benefits to retake those courses or take additional courses in the same subject area unless they are specifically required.
Example: A student transfers in 6 credits of English composition. Their degree requires 6 credits of English composition. They cannot be certified for additional English composition courses—those credits are already satisfied by transfer credit.
Transfer Credit Evaluation Process
Before you can properly certify a transfer student's enrollment, the institution must complete a formal transfer credit evaluation. Here's how the process should work:
Student Provides Official Transcripts
The student must request official transcripts from all previously attended institutions to be sent directly to your school's registrar or admissions office.
VASCO Role: Verify that official transcripts have been received before certifying enrollment. Unofficial or student-provided transcripts are not sufficient for VA certification purposes.
Registrar Evaluates Transfer Credit
Your institution's registrar or transfer credit evaluator reviews the transcripts and determines:
- • Which courses transfer as direct equivalents (e.g., "ENG 101 = ENG 1301")
- • Which courses transfer as general elective credit
- • Which courses do not transfer (too old, grade too low, not regionally accredited, etc.)
- • Total number of transfer credits accepted
Formal Transfer Credit Evaluation Issued
The registrar issues a formal transfer credit evaluation document showing exactly which credits transfer and how they apply to the student's degree program.
VASCO Critical Document: You must obtain a copy of this evaluation for your VA student files. This document proves which requirements have been satisfied by transfer credit.
Degree Plan Created or Updated
An academic advisor creates a degree plan showing:
- • All degree requirements
- • Requirements satisfied by transfer credit (marked "TR" or "Transfer")
- • Remaining requirements the student must complete
- • Total credits needed to graduate
VASCO Verifies and Certifies
You review the transfer credit evaluation and degree plan, verify that the student's current enrollment consists only of required courses, and certify accordingly.
Best Practice: Meet with transfer students before their first semester to review their degree plan and explain which courses can and cannot be certified for VA benefits.
Certifying Transfer Student Enrollment
⚠️ Critical Rule: Only Certify Required Courses
You may ONLY certify courses that are required for the student's declared degree program and that have not already been satisfied by transfer credit. Certifying courses that are not required (even if the student is taking them) constitutes an overpayment.
Step-by-Step Certification Process for Transfer Students
Step 1: Obtain Required Documents
Before certifying, ensure you have:
- • Official transfer credit evaluation
- • Current degree plan with transfer credits noted
- • Student's current semester course schedule
Step 2: Cross-Reference Each Course
For each course on the student's schedule, verify it appears on the degree plan as a remaining requirement (not already satisfied by transfer credit).
Step 3: Identify Non-Certifiable Courses
Mark any courses that are:
- • Duplicates of requirements already satisfied
- • Not listed on the degree plan
- • Listed as electives but student has already met total elective credit requirement
Step 4: Calculate Certifiable Credit Hours
Count only the credit hours for courses that are required and not yet satisfied. This is the training time you'll report to the VA.
Step 5: Inform the Student
If you cannot certify all of the student's courses, explain why and show them the degree plan documentation.
Example: "I can certify 9 of your 12 credits this semester. The 3-credit art elective cannot be certified because you've already met your elective requirement with transfer credits."
Step 6: Document Everything
Keep detailed notes showing which courses you certified, which you excluded, and why. Attach copies of the degree plan and transfer evaluation to your certification documentation.
Example Certification Scenario
Situation: Transfer student Jennifer has 45 transfer credits toward a 120-credit Bachelor's degree. She needs 75 more credits to graduate.
This Semester's Schedule:
- • Biology 201 (4 credits) - Required for her major ✅
- • Statistics 301 (3 credits) - Required for her major ✅
- • Spanish 101 (3 credits) - Fulfills language requirement ✅
- • Art History 101 (3 credits) - Elective for personal interest ❌
Issue: Jennifer's transfer credits already include 6 credits of art electives, which fully satisfy her humanities elective requirement. Art History 101 is not required.
✓ Correct Certification:
Certify 10 credits: Biology 201 (4), Statistics 301 (3), Spanish 101 (3)
Do NOT certify: Art History 101 (3) - not required for degree
Rate of Pursuit: 10 credits = 83% (10 ÷ 12 full-time) = Three-quarter time
Rate of Pursuit and Transfer Credit
Transfer credit directly impacts rate of pursuit calculations because only required courses count toward training time.
How to Calculate Rate of Pursuit for Transfer Students
Standard Formula:
Rate of Pursuit = (Certifiable Credits) ÷ (Full-Time Credits)
Example 1: All Courses Certifiable
Student enrolled in 12 credits, all required for degree
→ Rate of Pursuit: 12 ÷ 12 = 100% (Full-time)
Example 2: Some Courses Not Certifiable
Student enrolled in 12 credits total, but 3 credits are duplicates of transfer credit
→ Rate of Pursuit: 9 ÷ 12 = 75% (Three-quarter time)
Example 3: Below Half-Time Certification
Student enrolled in 12 credits total, but only 5 credits are required (rest satisfied by transfer)
→ Rate of Pursuit: 5 ÷ 12 = 42% (Less than half-time)
⚠️ Student receives reduced benefits and no MHA (Chapter 33)
🚨 Common Error: Certifying Based on Actual Enrollment vs. Required Courses
INCORRECT: "The student is enrolled in 12 credits, so I'll certify them as full-time."
CORRECT: "The student is enrolled in 12 credits, but only 9 credits are required for their degree. I'll certify 9 credits, which is three-quarter time."
Common Transfer Credit Scenarios
📘 Scenario 1: General Education Completed by Transfer
Situation: Student transfers from community college with an Associate's degree. All general education requirements (60 credits) are satisfied by transfer credit.
Implication: For the Bachelor's degree, only major-specific and upper-division courses remain. Student needs only 60 more credits to complete the 120-credit Bachelor's.
VASCO Action:
- • Verify the transfer evaluation shows all gen ed requirements satisfied
- • Only certify major requirements and upper-division courses
- • Do NOT certify any lower-division general education courses
- • Student will complete degree in approximately 2 years instead of 4
🔄 Scenario 2: Change of Major After Transfer
Situation: Student transfers in as a Biology major with 30 transfer credits. After one semester, switches to Business Administration.
Issue: Many transfer credits that counted toward Biology don't count toward Business. Some transfer credits may become "excess electives."
VASCO Action:
- • Request a NEW transfer evaluation for the Business major
- • Obtain a NEW degree plan reflecting the Business requirements
- • Recalculate remaining credits needed to graduate
- • Going forward, only certify Business degree requirements
- • Submit change of program to VA if student has already been certified
⚖️ Scenario 3: Partial Transfer Credit (Some Courses Don't Transfer)
Situation: Student attended a non-regionally accredited school. Some credits transfer, but many do not.
Result: Student has a mix of satisfied requirements and requirements they must retake despite having completed similar coursework elsewhere.
VASCO Action:
- • Use the official transfer evaluation as the definitive source
- • Certify courses that need to be retaken (not satisfied by transfer)
- • Cannot certify duplicates of courses that DID transfer successfully
- • Help student understand which credits transferred and which didn't
📅 Scenario 4: Old Transfer Credit
Situation: Veteran attended college 15 years ago, earned 45 credits, then enlisted. Now returning to complete degree using Post-9/11 GI Bill.
Potential Issues: Some institutions have time limits on how long credits remain valid (e.g., science courses older than 10 years may not transfer). Requirements may have changed.
VASCO Action:
- • Work closely with registrar to determine which old credits are still valid
- • Some courses may need to be retaken due to age
- • If courses must be retaken, they ARE certifiable (requirement not satisfied)
- • Document reasoning for why student is retaking previously completed courses
🎓 Scenario 5: Pursuing Second Bachelor's Degree
Situation: Student already has a Bachelor's in Psychology. Now pursuing a second Bachelor's in Computer Science using remaining VA benefits.
Key Point: General education from first degree typically transfers entirely. Only major-specific courses for new degree are required.
VASCO Action:
- • Verify the second degree is approved for VA benefits at your institution
- • Obtain transfer evaluation showing first degree's credits applied to second degree
- • Only certify major requirements for the new degree
- • Student typically completes second Bachelor's in 18-24 months
- • Ensure student understands they may exhaust benefits before completing if they're close to 36 months already
Special Transfer Credit Considerations
Military Training Credit (JST/CCAF)
Many institutions award transfer credit for military training documented on Joint Services Transcript (JST) or Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) transcripts.
Treatment for VA Purposes:
- • Military training credit is treated the same as any other transfer credit
- • If it satisfies a degree requirement, you cannot certify courses that duplicate it
- • Encourage veterans to submit JST/CCAF transcripts early to maximize transfer credit
- • Some schools offer generous credit for military experience (30+ credits possible)
Credit by Examination (CLEP, AP, DSST)
Credit earned through CLEP, AP, DSST, or other testing programs appears on transcripts as transfer credit or test credit.
VA Treatment:
- • Credit by examination counts as transfer credit for certification purposes
- • If CLEP credit satisfies English Composition, you cannot certify English Composition courses
- • Taking CLEP exams does NOT use VA benefits (tests are separate from coursework)
- • Strongly encourage students to CLEP out of gen ed courses to save benefits for major courses
Concurrent Enrollment (Dual Credit)
Students who took college courses in high school often have dual credit that appears on college transcripts.
Certification Rules:
- • Treated exactly like transfer credit from any other institution
- • If dual credit satisfies requirements, those courses cannot be certified again
- • Verify dual credit appears on official transfer evaluation
Previous Degree from Same Institution
Student earned Associate's at your school, now pursuing Bachelor's at same school using VA benefits.
Important Notes:
- • All coursework from Associate's automatically applies to Bachelor's requirements
- • Only certify additional courses needed for Bachelor's beyond Associate's
- • Verify student is working toward higher-level degree (cannot use VA benefits to pursue same or lower-level degree already completed)
- • Bachelor's after Associate's is allowed; second Associate's after earning first one is NOT allowed
Transfer Student Best Practices for VASCOs
10 Essential Best Practices
Require Transfer Evaluation Before First Certification
Never certify a transfer student without a completed, official transfer credit evaluation. Defer certification until this document is available.
Meet with Transfer Students Early
Schedule intake appointments with transfer students before their first semester to review their degree plan and explain what can be certified.
Keep Transfer Documentation in Student Files
Maintain copies of: transfer evaluation, degree plan, all previous transcripts. These documents justify your certification decisions during audits.
Verify Degree Plan Every Semester
Don't assume the degree plan from last semester is still accurate. Students change majors, add minors, or requirements change. Verify each term.
Coordinate with Academic Advisors
Build relationships with academic advisors who can help ensure transfer students' schedules align with remaining degree requirements.
Flag "Excess Electives" Issues Early
If a student's transfer credits include more electives than required, warn them early that additional elective courses cannot be certified.
Explain the "Required Courses Only" Rule Clearly
Many students don't understand why you can't certify all their courses. Use the degree plan as a visual aid to show what's required vs. not required.
Monitor Change of Major Requests
When transfer students change majors, immediately request new transfer evaluation and degree plan. Submit change of program to VA.
Encourage Military Credit Evaluation
Proactively remind veteran students to submit JST/CCAF transcripts. Military credit can save months or years of benefit usage.
Document Partial Certifications Thoroughly
When you certify fewer credits than the student's total enrollment, document which courses you excluded and why. This prevents disputes later.
Automate Transfer Credit Management
Stop manually cross-referencing degree plans and course schedules for every transfer student
VASCO Pro Software automatically:
Related Resources
First-Time VASCO Survival Guide
New to the VASCO role? Get your complete onboarding roadmap for the first 90 days.
Read Guide →Understanding the Delimiting Date
Master delimiting date calculations and help students maximize benefits before expiration.
Read Guide →Student Intake Form Template
Complete intake form for new VA students including transfer credit documentation section.
Download Template →Online vs In-Person MHA Rules
Master Monthly Housing Allowance calculations for different enrollment types.
Read Guide →About VASCO Assistant
VASCO Assistant provides training, resources, and software tools for Veterans Affairs School Certifying Officials. Our team includes former VASCOs, VA education specialists, and compliance experts dedicated to helping school certifying officials navigate the complexities of VA education benefits. We provide comprehensive guides, templates, and automation tools to make your job easier and ensure accurate benefit administration.