Choosing between college and university can feel like a massively stressful decision — like a huge, awkward fork stuck in the road. Each choice comes with its own set of benefits. Each comes with its own price tag. And each can feel like a door closing on another possibility.
But postsecondary doesn’t have to be an either/or decision.
Each year in Ontario, anywhere between 50,000 and 90,000 students choose to transfer. They do it to upgrade their skills or gain a new accreditation, to sample courses at other institutions, to find a better fit for their social life, family, health, or commute, or to change track completely and pursue a totally new career.
The good news is that if you’re thinking of changing schools or transferring courses, you don’t always have to start from scratch.
The whole transfer process is based on getting transfer credit, which is where the work you complete at one school gets recognized at another. The end goal? You don’t have to repeat courses you’ve already completed.
To maximize your transfer credits when transferring — and thus save as much time, money, and stress as possible — consider using ONTransfer.
What is ONTransfer?
ONTransfer is a free online service funded by the Government of Ontario. We partner with all publicly funded colleges and universities in the province to bring you up-to-date information on transfer policies, grade and credit requirements, and admissions contacts at specific institutions. We provide an overview of how transfer works, how to explore your options, and what you’ll need to kick-start the process.
But the most useful parts of the site are the Program Search and Course Search databases — search engines that pull info from every public institution in Ontario and essential tools to help you get as much credit as possible.
Search for pathways from your program
Already enrolled in a college or university program? Use the Pathways Search function to see if there are pre-established transfer pathways between your current institution and others.
You can base your search around where you are (and what you’re taking), or you can look ahead to where you want to go. Search by program, discipline, credential, degree, and/or institution and region.
If pathways exist between institutions, you’ll see how many transfer credits you can get at another college or university and how much of your program you’ll need to have completed to get them.
Transfer your courses
The Course Search function is divided into two different uses.
The first is the Course-to-Course Transfer function. This will explain if you’ll receive transfer credit at other colleges and universities for specific courses you’ve already taken. In other words, this will help you find courses you can transfer to your next school.
The second function helps users take a course at another institution and have it count toward their current studies. This is sometimes called transferring back a course or credit, and it can help you experience another campus, combine studies, and more.
We’re here to help allay your anxieties, guide you through the transfer process, save you time and money, and, ultimately, show you how transferring schools and courses is easier than ever.
Forget the fork in the road. Attend college, university, or both — in any order you want.
