Understanding NJ college credit transfer policies

I'm trying to transfer my college credits within New Jersey. Can anyone explain how the process works and if there are specific policies or agreements I should know about?

Transferring college credits within the state of New Jersey is guided by the state's Comprehensive State-Wide Transfer Agreement. The basic idea is to facilitate the transfer process for students from a New Jersey county college (two-year institutions) to New Jersey’s four-year public universities and colleges without loss of academic credit.

Here's what you should know:

1. Associate in Arts (A.A.) and Associate in Science (A.S.) Degrees: If you've earned an A.A. or A.S degree from a New Jersey county college, you'll enter the four-year New Jersey public institution of your choice as a junior. Essentially, you should be able to transfer all 60 of your earned credits.

2. General Education Requirements: If you completed the General Education Foundation at your initial institution, it fulfills lower-level, general education requirements at your new institution. There may still be prerequisites for certain majors or upper-level general education classes you have to take.

3. NJ Transfer: Use the NJ Transfer website to enhance your understanding of how your credits will transfer. The website lets you see how each of your courses and credits would transfer over to a four-year school in New Jersey.

5. Pathway Programs: Some county and 4-year colleges in NJ have specific "pathway" agreements in place, which provide a pre-planned curriculum for transferring smoothly into a certain major. Check both of your schools' websites to see if this is the case for your intended major.

6. Reach out: Don't hesitate to contact the transfer admissions offices at both institutions for any specific questions about your own situation.

Remember, these policies primarily apply to in-state students transferring from two-year to four-year schools within New Jersey. If your case is different, be sure to do additional research or consult directly with your target institution. And although the transfer agreement is considered comprehensive, there still might be individual institutional policies that you must adhere to.