UW System Making Credit Transfer Easier

Going to a two-year school for general education requirements can be a cost-effective way to begin higher education.

But what happens when some of those credits don't transfer to the four-year school of your choice? You can get stuck paying thousands more than you planned just to take classes you already passed.

Well, the UW System is working to eliminate or reduce that possibility and increase its number of graduates.

According to a story from JSOnline.com, some 17,000 students transfer into or within the UW System every year. A new, online tool can help students plan their classes according to which credits will transfer.

Right now, however, the tool is only available for students of two-year UW schools to transfer into UW-Madison, but every year, one or two more UW schools are expected to gain access to it. By the end of the year, technical school students will also be able to use the tool.

Bryan Albrecht, president of Gateway Technical College, is supportive of the steps allowing students to continue their education.

"Gateway supports any effort that will enhance educational opportunities for Wisconsin citizens. College transfer has been a concern for students and colleges. The ability for students to move smoother between the UW two and four year colleges will also enhance the transfer of Wisconsin Technical Colleges," he said. "Gateway has transfer agreements in place with many public and private college to provide student with options in pursuit of their high education degree."

There is a broad online tool available for all UW schools, however, at http://tis.uwsa.edu.

The goal is to produce more college graduates to make establishing or moving a business to Wisconsin more attractive.