Community college credits are essential since they indicate the number of applied hours considered in completing a specific study course successfully. They serve a major role in standardizing the duration taken to complete community college subjects (Zeidenberg, 2015) . In this case, each program offered by the target learning institution can be completed by the student if they complete the required credits. The credits are measured by the lecture duration spent by the student per week in the classroom. Such credits are also vital since they allow community colleges to compute tuition costs. Community colleges charge a specific rate per credit duration, typically per hour, for up to twelve hours. A flat tuition rate is determined when the number of credits is more than twelve. Students in community colleges may need federal loans and grants to complete their studies. Such external finances can be earned if the student completes a minimum number of credit hours. Credits are also integral since they determine the student’s graduation status (Attewell & Monaghan, 2016) . A student can only graduate if they complete a predetermined number of credits. In addition, the credits have a considerable influence on the student’s GPA. A student who has attained the required number of credits is likely to have a higher GPA than one who has not met their stipulated number of credits. In this sense, the importance of community college credits cannot be further underscored.
Issues regarding credits earned by students arise when the student switches to another community college. The student may transfer due to financial circumstances. If the student cannot meet the tuition of their community college, they may switch to colleges that offer lower tuition. In addition, the student may be switching courses, and the community college they are in may not offer the desired course. Resultantly, the student will be forced to change college. Other reasons that might contribute to the shifts include social circumstances, sports transfer, military transfer, academic challenges, or wanting to be closer to family (Taylor & Jain, 2017) . The change of colleges means that the student has to transfer their credits. Credits transfer is fundamental since it determines whether the student will undertake the course they desire. In addition, it determines the duration to be taken by the student in completing the specific course in the new institution. In such a case, it also determines whether the student will graduate. The more credits the student transfers, the greater the probability of taking a few courses at the new community college. Students who are shifting schools are likely to be unaware of the credits they need while at the new institution. The process of transferring credits between institutions such as community colleges is highly confusing and complicated. Credits that are transferred are allowed from community colleges, which are regionally accredited (Kelly & Schneider, 2012) . The lack of accreditation limits the successful transfer of credits from the institution without accreditation to the new institution the student is enrolling at. The accreditation status knowledge is essential for the student to ensure that the credits are transferred successfully. Such knowledge will ensure the student knows which additional credits they need at the community college. Students are unaware of the credits they require due to the lack of available information regarding the additional credits. Community colleges have to assess the student's situation in terms of the credits they earned in their previous institutions to know whether such credits will be accepted. If they are accepted, the students will only have to complete a few courses to ensure they graduate within a short time. If the credits are declined, the student may have to start from the beginning. In this scenario, they will graduate at a later time than previously desired. The assessment process to be carried out by the new institution is complicated, given that there are numerous requirements that should be met. For instance, a specific grade should be met to ensure the transfer procedure is successful. A D grade is not acceptable if the particular program necessitates a C grade or a grade above it. If the student is from a community college using a different grading system, they cannot whether the credits are accepted and if they are accepted to what extent.
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In addition, the targeted community colleges and other institutions require that the course content of the student at their previous institution should be similar to the content they offer. Such a requirement is difficult to meet, given that the course content may not be similar from one community college to another. The scope of work is also another requirement which the targeted community college consider. The scope of work covered by the student at the previous community college is taken into account by the targeted community college during assessment. In this case, the student cannot predetermine which credit they require exactly since there may be significant differences in the course content and scope of work covered by them at their previous institutions. Community college credits can be transferred from other learning institutions through the quarter system (Zamani-Gallaher, 2017) . The community college may grant a split credit changing the units to a two-thirds credit per study credit-hour at community colleges on the quarter system. Typically, the course with three credits requires two credits on a trimester-based program. However, if the program undertaken by a student does not have a trimester option, they will be unaware of the course credits they require to complete the target institution's program. The target institution may fail to work with the student in allocating the credits within their study program, leaving them confused regarding the additional required credits. The student’s previous community college may award course units rather than semester credits. Students in such a scenario are likely to face a hard time in determining which credits are likely to be considered by the target community college. The course units may be converted to semester credits depending on the units needed to earn the individual a degree in their previous learning institution. The target community college may have different ways of transferring the course semester credits, and this scenario puts the student in a difficult situation since they will not know the additional credits they require exactly. Technical credits offered by community colleges offering technical courses need to be evaluated by the target community college. The assessment procedure is complex since they are numerous requirements to be met. It is difficult to predetermine the technical credits to be accepted. The out-of-state transfer complicates the credits transfer process between institutions. There may be a lack of an articulation agreement between the learning institutions. In other cases, the articulation agreement may exist but may not apply to the student’s desired course. In both cases, the student will be unable to know the extra credits they require exactly.
References
Attewell, P., & Monaghan, D. (2016). How many credits should an undergraduate take? Research in Higher Education , 57 (6), 682-713. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-015-9401-z
Kelly, A. P., & Schneider, M. (2012). Getting to graduation: The completion agenda in higher education . Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Taylor, J. L., & Jain, D. (2017). The multiple dimensions of transfer: Examining the transfer function in American higher education. Community College Review , 45 (4), 273-293. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091552117725177
Zamani-Gallaher, E. M. (2017). Assessing student learning in the community and two year college: Successful strategies and tools developed by practitioners in student and academic affairs: MM Gardner, KA Kline, & MJ Bresciani . Sterling, VA: Stylus.
Zeidenberg, M. (2015). Valuable learning or “spinning their wheels”? Understanding excess credits earned by community college associate degree completers. Community College Review , 43 (2), 123-141. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091552115571595
