Yes, Barak Obama was a transfer student!  

See the Forbes article here 

When previous learning completed at one school is recognized at another, students are able to use previous education towards obtaining an additional Diploma or Degree.  

60,000 students transfer EACH YEAR.  

Benefits to transferring credits are:

• Ability to build foundation and preparedness for the next level of education.  Perhaps you were not academically ready to get into the school of your dreams straight out of high school, transferring gives you a second chance of getting into your first-choice school.  It is important to keep in mind that you need to put the work in prior to getting there.  Universities and colleges will expect a certain percentage in your previous diploma or degree to transfer.

• Many programs offer students with a 2-year Diploma to transfer directly into 2nd or 3rd year University.

• '2+2' programs can reduce the cost of obtaining a Degree, as the first 2 years of college tuition are typically less than university tuition. 

• Many students graduating from a Degree at University are attending College upon graduation in order to obtain Graduate Certificates, to increase their chances of employment.  

• Many Colleges and Universities offer Bridging Programs - rather than Transfer Credits, students can apply to a 2 semester Bridging Program that allows students to go from their Diploma to a Degree.  An excellent example of this is completing Practical Nursing and moving on to Registered Nursing. 

It is important to do your research to ensure that the credits or programs you are pursuing are transferable to the institution of your choice.  

Understanding Transfer Process FAQs

• Colleges are developing more and more 'marriages' with universities where Credit Transfers are clearly defined. Speak to a college admissions representative directly to learn of what opportunities pertain to your personal interests.   Click here to review numerous Collaborative University and College Programs.  Additional transfers are available, and Ontransfer can help navigate thousands of agreements between schools, but students must do their research at the college and university level to fully understand the options.  Check the PATHWAYS tab on individual college websites when researching programs of interest. 

• The top five transfer programs in Ontario are:

  • Business

  • Health

  • Social Science

  • Engineering

  • General Arts

• Students in business diploma programs can now transfer between any of Ontario’s colleges with full credit recognition. This first-of-its-kind transfer agreement applies to accounting, business administration, human resources and marketing programs, and colleges are already working to develop similar agreements in other areas of study.

• Transferring schools will help you grow into a more independent person because you are repeating the process of pushing yourself intellectually and socially.  When you become less fearful of taking risks or challenging yourself, you become more independent. You can’t help but gain maturity and crucial insights to aid in your next level of success.

There may be additional requirements (reference letters, extracurriculars, etc.).  Always check the details of the program to which you are looking to apply.  For more information, see:

• College: ontariocolleges.ca

• University: https://www.ontariouniversitiesinfo.ca/ and ouac.on.ca

• Indigenous Institutes: iicontario.ca