Section 1502.10  Purpose

 

The purpose of this joint rule is to foster the reverse transfer of credit for any student who has accumulated at least 15 hours of academic credit at a community college and a sufficient number of hours of academic credit at a State university in the prescribed courses necessary to meet a community college's requirements to be awarded an associate degree. (Section 23 of the Act)

 

Section 1502.20  Definitions

 

"Act" means the Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act [110 ILCS 150].

 

"Admissions Office" means an office within a community college or State university responsible for recruiting and communicating with new and transfer students.

 

"Community College" means a public community college in this State. (Section 5 of the Act)

 

"Eligible Student" means a student who meets the criteria in Section 1502.30.

 

"Registrar's Office" means an office within a community college or State university responsible for registering students, keeping academic records, and corresponding with applicants and evaluating their credentials.

 

"Reverse Transfer of Credit" means the transfer of earned academic credit from a State university to a community college for the purpose of obtaining an associate degree at the community college. (Section 23 of the Act)

 

"Reverse Transfer Data Sharing Platform" means a national electronic data sharing and exchange platform that meets nationally accepted standards, conventions and practices, such as the National Student Clearinghouse or similar platform.

 

"Reverse Transfer Agreement" means an institutional agreement between one or more community colleges and a State university to share student transcripts when a student requests a reverse transfer of credit.

 

"Opt-in" means the student's decision to seek a reverse transfer of credit.

 

"State University" means a public university in this State. (Section 5 of the Act)

 

Section 1502.30  Student Eligibility

 

The reverse transfer of credit option is available to a student who is currently enrolled in a State university and has:

 

a)                  Transferred to the State university from, or previously attended, a community college;

 

b)                  Earned at least 15 credit hours of transferrable course work completed at a community college;

 

c)                  Earned a cumulative total of at least 60 credit hours for transferrable course work successfully completed at the student's current or previously attended postsecondary institutions; and

 

d)                  Submitted a request to the State university at which the student is currently enrolled.

 

Section 1502.40  Student Request

 

A student who meets the eligibility criteria in Section 1502.30 may request a reverse transfer of credit from the State university to the community college previously attended.

 

a)                  The opportunity to opt-in may be taken at enrollment or at any time thereafter while enrolled at the State university.  The student shall provide the information required in Section 1502.30 (a), (b) and (c) and authorize the release of his or her transcript information, pursuant to State university procedures.

 

b)         In the event that the student has earned credit hours at more than one community college or State university, the student shall:

 

1)         Identify the community colleges and State universities at which any credit hours have been earned; and

 

2)         Authorize release of his or her transcript information from the community colleges and State universities to the community college identified for the purpose of earning an associate degree through a reverse transfer of credit.

 

Section 1502.50  Institutional Responsibilities

 

a)         Each State university and community college shall make available an opt-in process for the reverse transfer of credit, pursuant to this Part.  

 

b)         Each State university shall notify students who meet the eligibility criteria in Section 1502.30 each academic year.  The notification shall include information about the State university's process to reverse transfer of credit.

 

c)         State universities and community colleges shall comply with the following process:

 

1)         Information about reverse transfer of credit shall, at a minimum, be clearly identified on the institution's Internet website and printed in course catalogs.  This information shall also be made available through the admissions office and the registrar's office.

 

2)         After verifying student eligibility, the student information may be transferred through a reverse transfer data sharing platform or a reverse transfer agreement, or by contacting the institution directly. 

 

Institutions are encouraged to use a Reverse Transfer Data Sharing Platform as a cost-effective method to exchange course level data.  Any student information obtained from the platform must be accepted as official documentation of the student record.

 

3)         Transcript fees assessed to prepare and send student transcripts to community colleges may be waived to help promote the reverse transfer of credit.  Community colleges may waive fees assessed to conduct degree audits and to process graduation applications as part of the reverse transfer of credits.

 

4)         After receiving the student information, the community college shall review the information and, if the community college determines the student has earned the credits required to receive an associate degree, may award the associate degree.   

 

5)         No later than 30 business days after receiving an application for reverse transfer of credit and all required transcripts, a community college shall notify an applicant if he or she qualifies for an associate degree based on the total earned credits. (Section 23 of the Act)  The community college shall send the same notification to the State university.

 

6)         In the event that the community college awards an associate degree pursuant to this Part, the community college shall send a student transcript to the State university.  The transcript shall include the award of an associate degree.

 

Section 1502.60  Community College Determination to Award Degree

 

In awarding an associate degree, the community college shall evaluate the applicant's course work completed, along with the transfer credit earned, and shall determine whether the associate degree requirements have been met. (Section 23 of the Act)  Nothing in this Part affects the ability of the community college to determine the course work required to earn an associate degree awarded by that institution.

 

Section 1502.70  Voluntary Participation by Others

 

This Part does not preclude private colleges and universities from voluntarily participating in the reverse transfer of credit.