The unexpected cost of a dream school

Meet Mya

Los Angeles Valley College | Howard University

Mya Vickers is a political science student at Howard University who earned 71 credits at Los Angeles Valley College before transferring to her dream school. What should have been an exciting new chapter became far more complicated when she discovered how few of those credits would count toward her degree.

Transcript

What happens when students transfer from community college to a four-year college or university? What counts, what doesn’t, and what do they wish they’d known?

Through firsthand accounts, students share the decisions, setbacks, and support that shaped their experiences, revealing what’s at stake when credits do, and don’t, move with them.

Mya was on track with 71 credits from Los Angeles Valley College.

Then she transferred.

Mya

When I decided to transfer, I thought mostly all my credits would transfer with me as well. More than a half at least. I was originally supposed to go to CSU Long Beach. I was committed. I sent my acceptance money. I sent everything over.

And then last minute, I got accepted to Howard. And I was like, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’m gonna be able to be in D.C.

When I had the meeting with my advisor, I told him that, ‘Hey, I am a transfer student. I came from a community college. I was wondering when my transcripts would get transferred over so I know what classes I could be in.’ And he said that he couldn’t do that. That’s an admissions job, not his job. He said he would email them for me, but he never got back. I ended up emailing the Dean of the Advisors Center. He basically said it would be easier if I came in person, which I was like, [sighs]. But I’m here, so I guess that worked.

It was a Tuesday, I went into the advisor’s building, and I was like, ‘I was wondering if I can make an appointment with said advisor.’

And they’re like, “Oh, he doesn’t work here no more.”

‘Is there anybody else?’

And they’re like, “Yeah, here. She’s in her office. Go talk to her.”

I talk to her. She was like, “Okay, I have your transcripts. I’m going to send them over to admissions again and tell them to put them in, and they should be put in by the end of the week.”

I was still concerned about that because I didn’t know if I was in freshman courses or upperclassmen courses. And it was just disappointing in itself. And then I got an email that next Monday being like, “Hey, your transcripts are encoded, go look at your student account, just look over everything.”

And they only allowed 37 credits out of my 71, which was crazy, and I was classified under a sophomore. And for the next few years, I’m just filling up my credits.

No one told me why these credits didn’t transfer over. Yes, I was angry. And I was disappointed.

What were the consequences of credit loss?

When I realized that I didn’t have more free time than what I originally expected, it disappointed me because not only do I want a social life within school, but out of school. To have enough time for internships, to have enough time for jobs without stressing over. I have to make sure that I have enough credits to graduate, even though I’m a junior.

It hit me. It hit me hard. I was mad, but the only thing you can do is move forward. And so I accepted it. I was like, it is what it is. No one told me why these credits didn’t transfer over. Yes, I was angry. Yes, I was disappointed.

It wasn’t even about me graduating on time or the classes I was taking. It was about how much money I’m wasting. So I was mainly worried about tuition and how many loans I would have to take out, and how much FAFSA would actually give me, and whether I am eligible for either SNAP benefits or cash assistance, because I might have to stay here longer than needed.

But if I’d known before that they would only accept 37 credits, I wouldn’t have come. I would have stayed and went to Long Beach.

Students did the work. Why doesn’t it count?