When attending college, a student may discover that the programs offered in the university do not go in line with his or her career path. In such cases, one can decide to transfer to another university that meets his or her preferences. This is known as an academic transfer. When transferring to a new university, the credits earned from the courses one has completed are transferred too. The whole process might sound easy, but it isn't. There are several requirements that must be met in accordance with the law. Failure to do so can lead to cancellation of the transfer and further penalties or fines.
Tuition Payments
Tuition fee is one of the areas that raise many questions. Most transferring students usually do not know how to handle tuition fee matters during transfers. Therefore, some of them make mistakes which lead to certain legal ramifications.
Before applying for a transfer, a student should ensure that his or her fee for that semester is fully paid. Normally, the first thing that is checked by the transfer board is whether the student has cleared his or her fee. If the fee is not cleared, the transfer request is declined.
After transferring to the other university, one is also required to pay fees for the semester he or she has joined. Tuition fee is not transferable. Therefore, the transferring student must ensure that all tuition fee issues are solved. All outstanding balances should be settled and if there is any excess fee it should be refunded to the student.
Financial Aid
Financial aid cannot be transferred from one institution to another. However, if a student receives federal aid in his or her current university, he or she should be able to get federal aid at the other university as well. That is only if he or she meets the eligibility criteria and shows good academic progress.
One has to request that the information on his or her Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) be sent to the new school. It can take up to 4 weeks for the FAFSA data to be delivered to the new school. The request can be made on the FAFSA website, www.FAFSA.gov, or by contacting the Federal Processor via phone.
Student Loans
If the transferring student receives a federal loan, he or she must cancel the loan with the old school. If the student wants to access the loans while in the new school, he or she should reapply at the new school. This is done by adding the school code to the student's FAFSA account. It is only after the old loan has been cancelled that the new school can process the new loan.
Housing Agreements
Every university has its own set of rules and regulations when it comes to housing. It is a law that students who live on school premises must sign a housing agreement. By signing the agreement a student agrees to pay the required room and board rates, house dues, communications fees and other fees that are established by the university.
If one is transferring to another university, he or she is required to terminate the agreement. This can only be done by filing a Termination of Occupancy. After filling for termination, one is required to vacate the residence immediately.
Clearing With the Departments
It is also important for one to clear with all departments before transferring to another university. Failure to do so can lead to dismissal of the transfer request and other consequences. Moreover, clearing with all departments ensures that one has no dues, which can attract serious consequences according to the law.
About The Author
Ryan Ayers is a writer who creates informative articles in relation to education. In this article, he describes possible legal issues relating to transferring universities and aims to encourage further study through a CC Law Masters Degree.
