Transfer Agreement with the University of South Carolina and Clemson Announced for All Technical Colleges
On January 11, 2024, the South Carolina House of Representatives announced transfer
agreement between the University of South Carolina Columbia, Clemson, and all 16 technical
colleges across South Carolina. The agreement ensures students at York Technical College
can seamlessly transfer their credits to South Carolina or Clemson should they choose
to continue their education.
"This effort is a great example of collaboration among higher education institutions for the benefit of students and families," said York Technical College President Dr. Stacey Moore. "For a student whose eventual goal is a bachelor’s degree, attending York Technical College for the first two years will save them an average of $60,000. Given our focus on access and our mission to transform lives and elevate our communities, we are proud to be a part of the effort to make transferring to a four-year institution even easier.
From the South Carolina House of Representatives:
The statewide transfer partnership agreement between the South Carolina Technical College System (SCTCS) and the South Carolina Public Research Universities, specifically Clemson University and the University of South Carolina Columbia, represents a concerted, collaborative effort to streamline the transfer experience to the benefit of student success. Its primary objective is to strengthen the seamless transfer of credits from technical colleges to public research universities within the state.
This agreement marks a significant milestone in refining the transfer process between the SCTCS and the South Carolina Public Research Universities. It is intentionally designed to be dynamic with ongoing assessment and evaluation to optimize student educational opportunities.
Key components of the agreement include:
- Establishment of 30 or more credit hours of guaranteed acceptance AND applicability
to the student’s major designed to reduce credit loss at the time of transfer.
- Maintenance of the acceptance of a minimum of 60 credit hours for students completing
the Associate in Arts and Associate in Science, per state policy.
- A reverse transfer credit option enabling credits earned at the university to be transferred
back to the SCTCS college for the completion of an associate degree.
- Establishment of annual data sharing in an effort to highlight successes and opportunities
for further collaboration to increase transfer student success.
- A commitment to ongoing, regular collaboration through the facilitation of faculty
and staff convenings to promote better advising, pedagogy, and resources.
“At a time when workforce development is crucial to the future prosperity of our state, the Statewide Transfer Agreement will make college more affordable and accessible, further encouraging South Carolinians to pursue a degree in high-demand career fields,” said Governor Henry McMaster. “I thank the University of South Carolina, Clemson University, and the South Carolina Technical College System for their collaboration on this important initiative that will greatly benefit our people and state.”
“The SC Technical College System was built on accessibility, and we’re proud to reinforce this commitment by expanding our partnership with these two research universities,” said SC Technical College System President Dr. Tim Hardee. “This statewide agreement, encouraged and supported by our state’s leaders, streamlines achieving higher education goals for students and families across South Carolina. It allows them to initially take financial advantage of lower tuition at their local technical college and then seamlessly transfer to USC or Clemson for their bachelor’s degree.”
Read about York Technical College's other transfer agreements to Winthrop and Lander Universities.