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Transfer Information

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Transfer Information

Transfer of Credits into Trinidad State College

A student who wishes to transfer to Trinidad State College may do so provided that the student is in good standing at the college from which they wish to transfer.  Transfer students will apply for admissions as first-time freshman. Each applicant for admission who has attended another institution or college may not disregard a previous collegiate record.

An official transcript must be sent directly to Trinidad State from the institution(s) where the credits were earned.  College transcripts will be evaluated prior to registration to ascertain acceptable credits that apply to the student’s program of study.  Only transfer credits with passing grades will be evaluated and applied to transcripts. Up to 45 credits earned at regionally accredited colleges or universities or other approved educational institutions may be applied toward fulfilling TSC program requirements.  These transfer credits will be used to fulfill as many course/program requirements as possible. Courses for which there are no equivalencies will be treated as electives.

Transfer credits and grades will not be used in calculating cumulative GPA at Trinidad State.

All lower-division undergraduate credit hours awarded within ten years may apply to completing graduation requirements. Credits more than ten years old will receive careful consideration and approval. The Registrar, in conjunction with the department chair of the respective academic divisions, reserves the right to examine any course over ten years old to determine its currency and applicability to existing curriculum and programming before credit is accepted. Courses for which the student has earned a grade of “D” or “F” will not be accepted for credit. 

Students with a GPA below 1.5 may be admitted on academic probation.  In determining academic standing while attending TSC, the GPA of a transfer student is computed on the basis of credits attempted at Trinidad State College only and will not include credits and grade points earned at other colleges.  Please contact the Registrar at 719-846-5550 for more information about accepted transfer credits. 
Registrar Email

International Credit Transfer Information

Students who have attended international colleges or universities may either submit their non-U.S. transcripts to an evaluation service to be considered for transfer or they may waive pre-requisites. (International students who have attended other U.S. colleges or universities must submit their official U.S. transcripts.)  Trinidad State College accepts non-U.S. transcript evaluations through any NACES member organization. These organizations can be found listed at http://naces.org/members.html.

It is up to the student to select an appropriate evaluation service and pay the fees associated with that evaluation.

Costs will vary by service and type of evaluation offered. Trinidad State College requires a course-by-course or detailed evaluation. Credit recommendations do not guarantee acceptance of credits by Trinidad State. Official evaluations can be mailed directly to:

Trinidad State CollegeRegistrar’s Office600 Prospect Street
Trinidad, CO  81082

Registrar's Email

If transcripts are being delivered in person, they must be in the sealed envelope from the evaluation service.

Transfer of Trinidad State College Credits to Your Next Institution

Bridge to Bachelors

The Colorado Community College System’s (CCCS) Bridge to Bachelor’s Degree Program ensures first-time students attending any CCCS College are guaranteed admission to a participating four-year college or university upon completion of an Associate degree.

How to apply:

  1. Indicate that you want to participate in the Bridge to Bachelor’s Degree program when filling out your TSC college application.
  2. Review with your advisor to make sure your intended degree and program are eligible.

Benefits to Students

Trinidad State College students who participate in the Bridge to Bachelor’s Degree program will have access to:

  • Personalized student advising guidance to ensure credits and administrative supports are in place to easily transfer to a desired four-year program.
  • Scholarship opportunities to make degrees from a four-year institution more attainable and affordable.
  • A no-hassle transfer process between participating two-year and four-year programs, ensuring a smooth transition.

More information may be found at https://trinidadstate.edu/bridge/index.html or by contacting your academic advisor.

Degrees with Designation

Colorado also has developed Statewide Transfer Articulation Agreements (Degrees with Designation) that allow you to graduate from a Colorado community college with a 60-credit associate degree with designation, such as an Associate of Arts in English or an Associate of Sciences in Biology; enroll with junior status at a four-year university; and complete the bachelor's degree in that major in no more than an additional 60 credits (for a total of 120 credits).

You can find more information about the Statewide Transfer Articulation Agreements (STAAs) on the Transfer Degrees webpage on the Colorado Department of Higher Education’s site.

gtPathways

To help you avoid taking unnecessary courses and quickly earn your degree, Colorado has developed a general education curriculum (gtPathways) that forms the core of all AA and AS degrees offered by Trinidad State College in the state and the core of most bachelor's degrees offered by public four-year colleges and universities in the state.  All gtPathways courses (in which student has earned a “C” grade or better) are guaranteed to transfer between two-year and four-year public colleges and universities in Colorado.

You can find more information about the gtPathways curriculum and courses on the Guaranteed Transfer webpage on the Colorado Department of Higher Education’s site.

The AA and AS transfer agreements apply to courses completed at a Colorado community college. Credit earned for Prior Learning, Advanced Placement, correspondence courses, CLEP, and other tested-only credit may not apply. The institution you transfer to will evaluate these credits according to its policies.

Colorado Reverse Transfer

Reverse Transfer allows students who transferred from a Colorado two-year institution to a four-year institution to combine credits and apply them toward an associate degree. Formerly known as "Degree Within Reach," the program began in 2014.

If you are a transfer student, this means you can earn the associate degree you started at your community college while still working toward your bachelor’s degree. You could be eligible even if you recently left a four-year institution before earning a degree.

An associate degree offers students currently pursuing their bachelor’s degree two unique opportunities. First, it allows students to round out their academic qualifications. For instance, if you are pursuing an accounting bachelor’s degree, you can bolster your credentials with an Associate of Arts degree. Second, an associate degree can make students more competitive for employment and earn more while working on their bachelor’s degree.  For further information about Reverse Transfer (https://cdhe.colorado.gov/students/attending-college/credit-transfer/colorado-reverse-transfer) or contact the Transfer Advisor at (719) 846-5612 or the Registrar at (719) 846-5550.

Transfer Advisors

Trinidad State College has a transfer advisor on each campus.  The transfer advisor is the best person to meet with about transfer requirements. While all core courses and degrees that meet the pathway requirements will transfer, certain schools have specific electives that are required and if the student can take those equivalent classes at Trinidad State, it will make transferring more efficient.  Planning is the key to a successful transfer to a four-year baccalaureate program. Begin researching as soon as possible during your time at Trinidad State College.

The sooner you decide on a major at the four-year college you want to attend, the easier it will be to plan a program at Trinidad State College. You should not wait until your last semester at Trinidad State to make decisions.

Steps to Successful Transfer

  1. Visit the Advising Office (Berg 209) on the Trinidad Campus or the Welcome Center on the Valley Campus to explore possible majors, and find out more about areas that interest you.
  2. Search for colleges that offer your area of interest and learn how to use each school’s online resources to access the accurate information needed. If you need assistance in this task, make use of the transfer advisor, who will help you in the confusing world of navigating college websites. Create a plan with your academic advisor.
  3. Sign up for the transfer and foundation scholarships available from many of the 4-year schools. The sooner you apply for them, the more financial assistance you may get if you end up attending that college. March 1st is the deadline for scholarship applications to most Colorado colleges. Be prepared to submit your application as well as any other required material well before the March 1st scholarship deadline.
  4. While working on your program at Trinidad State, visit with the transfer advisor regularly as well as your Trinidad State academic advisor to help familiarize yourself with the whole application process. They can also help you change majors and make up any courses you will need to transfer.
  5. Be aware of deadlines and submit applications by these dates! Preferred fall admissions consideration deadlines are usually in mid to late spring; however, keep in mind that to be considered for scholarships, you must be admitted to the school. As a general rule, you should apply for admission by no later than the scholarship deadline (March 1st).

More information may be found at https://trinidadstate.edu/advising/transfer.html and by meeting with your transfer advisor.