Transfer Credit Evaluation Process
If you have earned credits at another institution, you may be able to transfer them towards a degree or certificate at Lower Columbia College.
To begin, submit a transcript evaluation form. For assistance, please contact us.
Transfer-Eligible Accredited Institutions
In general, Lower Columbia College only accepts credits earned at institutions accredited by one of the following institutional accrediting agencies, or other institutions with which LCC has an established transfer agreement:
- Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
- Higher Learning Commission
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- New England Commission of Higher Education
- Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
- WASC Senior College and University Commission
LCC has designated institutions accredited by these institutional accreditors as Transfer-Eligible Accredited Institutions. To find out if a college or university is a Transfer-Eligible Accredited Institution, use the accreditation database provided by the US Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education and verify that the institution’s accreditor is on the list above.
Transfer-Eligible Courses
LCC only awards transfer credit for courses completed with a grade of C- or better. Each class is measured against LCC’s specific course outcomes to ensure academic equivalency.
- Apply for Admission - skip if you are already a current student
- Submit the Transfer Credit Evaluation Request form (you must first have an LCC student ID)
- Request official transcripts from each of the institutions you have attended.
- Strongly Recommended: Send electronic transcripts using the National Student Clearinghouse, Parchment, or Scrip-Safe. If you need to enter an email address when ordering the transcript, use evaluation@lowercolumbia.edu.
- Hand deliver in original sealed envelope to the One-Stop Center
- Mail in original sealed envelope to:
Lower Columbia College
Registrar/Transcript Evaluation
PO Box 3010
Longview, WA 98632
What is an official transcript?
Your official transcript is the college or university's certified statement of your academic record. The official transcript is printed on security paper or sent as a secure electronic file by the sending institution and contains the official seal and signature of the registrar. Hard copy official transcripts must be sealed and unopened.
Once LCC receives your official transcripts they are the property of LCC and will not be returned or forwarded to any other institution. Students are responsible for ordering and sending their transcripts.
Official transcripts are required before a transfer credit evaluation can be completed, even when coursework was completed at another ctcLink institution. If you have attended multiple ctcLink colleges you will be able to view your course history from all schools in a single location through your ctcLink student portal. However, each school’s record is separate and we cannot directly access your official transcript until you request it from the sending college. Because an official transcript is an institution’s certified statement of your academic record it must be officially sent to us to ensure we comply with recordkeeping requirements and evaluate your credits accurately.
Your evaluation will be added to the queue once we have received official transcripts from all institutions listed on your request form. Transfer credit evaluations are processed in the order they are received. Allow 6-8 weeks after submitting all required documents. During high-volume periods, processing time may be slightly higher.
Once your evaluation is complete, you will receive a notification via your email address marked as preferred in ctcLink. Your next step is to meet with your advisor to discuss your remaining degree requirements. In some cases, a course syllabus may be required to verify equivalency; if requested, contact your previous institution to obtain and submit this documentation.
Transfer credit evaluations are tracked in ctcLink using milestones. These are created once an official transcript and request form are received and are updated within three business days of arrival.
How to view your status:
- Log into ctcLink
- Click the Academic Records tile
- Click View My Milestones
- Select the Milestone
- Click OK
Transfer Reciprocity
If you completed a course at your previous school that met a distribution/general education requirement, you may be able to use that course to fulfill your LCC graduation requirements, even if the class does not have an equivalent LCC class. How the class counts will depend on the state where you completed it. Students must initiate the review process and be prepared to provide necessary documentation.
Most US-Based Colleges:
- Humanities
- Natural Science
- Social Science
Washington Colleges Only:
- All of the Above and:
- Communications
- Quantitative Skills
- Diversity
Transfer reciprocity is not available for all courses or institutions. Email evaluation@lowercolumbia.edu for more information.
To appeal a transfer equivalency, send a syllabus to evaluation@lowercolumbia.edu. A syllabus is different from a course description and must include a list of topics and assignments from the same year the course was taken. First, search the institution’s website – many colleges post syllabi on the web. If you can’t find it, you may need to contact your previous institution to request that they email it to you. Usually the registrar’s office, or the academic department for the course subject, can help.
No, transfer credit will not impact your GPA at LCC.
No, transfer credit will not replace any grades on your LCC transcript. If you plan to repeat a class you transferred in while attending LCC, contact evaluation@lowercolumbia.edu after you complete the class.
If you have attended an institution outside of the United States, extra documentation may be needed. It is recommended that you contact an advisor before beginning the process. Review our Foreign Transcript Evaluation process for more information.
No, you do not need to wait. Email registration@lowercolumbia.edu and let us know that you need to enroll. If we determine that you meet the prerequisite, we will enroll you. We must have an official or unofficial transcript to do this.