Transfer Services

To ensure that your credits will transfer to four-year colleges/universities, KCC participates in the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI), a statewide transfer agreement for general education courses.

KCC offers the required coursework for the first two years of nearly any college major and provides suggested associate degree plans if you are undecided about your senior institution. If you know where you want to transfer after completing an associate degree at KCC, consult that school’s transfer guides.

Transfer Checklist

As you prepare to transfer:

• Choose a major - Assistance is offered by the Career Planning Services office, and your advisor.
• Choose a college/university – Start with two or three schools you would like to attend.
  • Consult your academic advisor each semester to enroll in courses which will transfer to the four-year college/university.
  • Note the required admission GPA for your intended major and the application dates.
• Visit two or three schools - Attend an open house or schedule a visit.
• Apply for admission - Select your transfer college/university and check its application period for transfer students.
  • Expect to apply a year before you plan to attend.
  • Send your KCC transcript the college/university with your application.
• Apply for financial aid – Start by completing a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).
• File your KCC graduation petition - Schedule an appointment with your KCC academic advisor the semester prior to transfer.
• Send your final transcript - After acceptance, have your final KCC transcript sent to the school with the degree posted.
• Stay in touch with your transfer institution - Attend a “Transfer Day,” complete the housing process and register for classes as soon as possible.

Transfer Destinations

When you are ready to take the next step in your academic journey, there are many transfer opportunities available to you. Here are some of the colleges and universities that accept KCC transfer students.

Here are the steps to transfer to KCC from another college or university:

• Complete a KCC admissions form.
• Request your official high school transcript or GED scores.
• Request official transcripts from any other colleges/universities you have attended.
• Request that KCC evaluate your prior coursework.
• Take KCC’s placement test. Appropriate coursework, ACT scores or COMPASS scores may substitute.
• Apply to have any Title IV financial aid transferred. Contact the Financial Aid office for details.
• Meet with a KCC advisor.

For more information or to schedule an advising appointment, contact Student Affairs at 815-802-8500.

Just taking a summer class?

If you are a student at another college/university, you can take a KCC class or two this summer and transfer them back to your four-year college/university.

Does KCC have the course you need?

Before you apply, make sure KCC has the course you need to meet your college or university’s requirements.

• MyCreditsTransfer
• Create a Transferology account and choose the Find a Replacement Course option. If your four-year college/university is not listed, check with your advisor.
• See KCC’s class schedule for upcoming options.

It is also recommended that summer-visiting students complete the Temporary Transfer Form to verify you have met the prerequisites at your college/university, confirm eligibility to take the course at KCC, and verify KCC’s course will transfer back to your college/university to meet your degree requirements. Step 2 of the Visiting Student process (below) is to submit the Summer Visiting Student Registration form and Temporary Transfer Form.

Become a summer visiting student

1. Apply online and complete New Student Orientation.
2. Complete and submit:
   1. Summer Visiting Student Registration Form
   2. Temporary Transfer Form
3. Within 5 business days, a KCC Admissions and Registration staff member/advisor will contact you to finalize your registration.
4. After you complete your summer class and receive a grade, request a KCC transcript, so the course and grade information can be sent to your college or university.

Need more information? Please call 815-802-8500 or email advising@kcc.edu.

College and University Visits

Check back often to see what schools have scheduled visits.
Emergency closings are announced on KCC’s home page and Facebook page.
To schedule a KCC visit, go to visit.kcc.edu.

Events offered include:

• On-Campus Table Visits: Visit one of the locations below to meet with an admissions representative while they are at the River Road Campus.
• Virtual Table Visits: Drop-in sessions with admissions representatives during set times
• Annual KCC Transfer College Fair (September): With table visits, you can connect with admissions representatives to gain more information on transfer schools and the admissions process.
• The virtual events may require that you have an account with Zoom, WebEx, or Microsoft Teams, depending on the school.

• Virtual Events
• On Campus Events

Virtual Events Schedule

On Campus Events Schedule

Location Key

Location info for on-campus events schedule

Location	Details
Room L139	The College Center, also the cafeteria, is located on the first floor of the “L” building.
Room L355	“The Commons” is on the third floor of the main academic classroom area (Building L).
Room D222	The Admissions & Registration Office counter is on the second floor in Student Affairs (Building D).

For College and University Representatives

To schedule table visits, please complete the Transfer College Visit Request Form.

What is the benefit of a transfer associate degree?

Completing a transfer associate degree

• ensures you have completed general education requirements toward a bachelor’s degree
• provides a foundation for your major
• provides an opportunity to explore new areas of study, especially for undecided students.

If I am going to pursue a bachelor’s degree, what are my choices?

KCC transfer programs:

• Associate in Arts (A.A.): General” A.A.^* & specialized options – Criminal Justice, English, Elementary Education, History, Mass Communications, Political Science, Psychology, Secondary Education, Sociology and Visual Arts
• Associate in Science (A.S.): General” A.S.^* & specialized options – Agriculture, Biological Sciences, Business, Chemistry and Mathematics
• Associate in Engineering Science (A.E.S.)
• Associate in Fine Arts (A.F.A.)

If you choose a specialized A.A. or A.S. curriculum, some general education courses are prescribed. For example, the A.S. in Business requires Introduction to Psychology or Sociology; Principles of Macroeconomics; and Principles of Microeconomics. A general A.S. student can choose from among 18 social sciences courses. Please contact a transfer advisor for more information.

_{^*Note:  A “general” A.A. or A.S. degree allows the flexibility to select many courses required for the first two years of most bachelor’s degrees. Consult with the transfer university.}

If I am undecided about my educational goal, should I be a non-degree student?

Undecided students are advised to choose a “general” A.A. or A.S. degree. These degrees give you maximum flexibility. It will also help ensure that courses will satisfy degree requirements. If you do not select a degree program, you are not eligible for financial aid.

Does KCC have services to help me if I am undecided about what to study?

Consider taking advantage of a career counseling appointment or the Career Coach web-based tool. Another comprehensive option is enrolling in “College Exploration”.

Will my courses transfer to a university?

All Illinois community colleges use the same general education core requirements as part of the Illinois Articulation Initiative. It helps simplify the transfer process. Completion of the core courses ensures that general education requirements are completed for transfer to state universities in Illinois and other participating four-year colleges and universities. Make sure you select courses that are specified for your program. Your KCC advisor will work with you to choose appropriate transfer-level courses. You should consult an advisor at the transfer college/university to confirm you are fulfilling their requirements.

What is a credit hour?

Credit hours relate to the total number of hours of instruction and lab/clinical time for the course. The last digit of the course number indicates the number of credit hours earned for the course. For example: ARTS 1613 (3 credit hours), and MATH 1704 (4 credit hours).

What is considered full-time study?

To be classified as a full-time student during a 16-week semester, you must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours. For the 6 or 8-week summer term, 6 credit hours is full-time.

What is a transfer level course?

The answer is within the course number. Transfer-level courses at KCC have a first digit of 1 or 2 and a second digit of 5 to 9. For example: BSNS 1553 is a transfer-level course and AUTO 1213 is not a transfer course.

How many courses should I take each semester?

Generally, we recommend full-time students start with 12 to 15 credits, which is usually 4 or 5 courses. Later, an average course load would be 15 to 16 credits, but may vary depending on your personal responsibilities.

To be successful, how much time should I allow for class preparation?

Unlike high school, college requires extensive preparation and studying obligations outside of class. Expect to invest an additional two to three hours for each hour of class time. The most successful students schedule and stick to specific times for study.

How many hours should I be able to work at my job?

To decide how much you can work, consider your individual responsibilities. Generally, full-time students should limit themselves to 20 or fewer hours of work per week during the transition to college. It is better to be successful with a lighter load than to over-extend and struggle or fail.

Do I need to take a foreign language?

The requirements vary, so it is best to check with your transfer college. If you are undecided, your KCC advisor can share the requirements for each school. To graduate with a bachelor’s degree, two or more semesters of college-level foreign language is sometimes required. When there is a foreign language requirement, it is wise to begin it at KCC as soon as possible.

Should I finish my associate degree before I transfer to a university?

Typically, it is in your best interest to transfer with a transfer degree (A.A., A.S., A.F.A. or A.E.S.). Consult your KCC advisor and an advisor at the transfer institution for the best time to transfer.

Can I transfer with an Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree?

An A.A.S. is an occupational/career degree, such as Registered Nursing or Electrical Engineering Technology. KCC has cooperative agreements with several colleges including Governors State University and Illinois State University that allow students with specified A.A.S. degrees to complete bachelor’s degrees. These programs may also be called “2 plus 2” or “capstone” programs.

Can I attend KCC then transfer to another community college for a degree not offered at KCC (ex. dental hygiene or veterinary technician)?

In most cases, your general education courses need to be taken at KCC. Meet with an advisor at the transfer college to determine which courses will be accepted toward their program. Your KCC advisor can work with you to plan the appropriate sequence of the courses to take here if needed.

Can I complete a bachelor’s degree online?

Yes. KCC has a number of online bachelor’s degree completion agreements. 

An online bachelor’s degree completion program usually combines on-campus classes at KCC with online courses through the university. After students earn an associate degree from KCC, they can complete “bridge” courses at KCC and take online classes through these universities.

If I attend KCC then transfer to a university, can I still complete a KCC degree?

Yes, if you have completed courses at another institution(s), those courses might meet KCC degree requirements. Consult a KCC advisor for details on transferring back credits and which associate degree options are most suitable for you.