Many Tyler Junior College students want to transfer to a four-year college, but there is much to do and not much time.
Many freshmen and sophomores often have no idea about how to transfer to a university. Students wanting to transfer should begin preparing their paperwork as early as possible. During their freshman year, students’ schedules are not as demanding as future ones, and they should prepare ahead of time. Sophomore year will be busy, and time may be insufficient. The earlier students start to think about transferring, the better.
Students should start finding out what they will need to beat the deadline.
“You need to have a minimum of a 2.0 GPA. Depending on the university, you might be required at least 15-30 semester hours here before you can transfer,” said Shannon Marshall, academic advisor for Professional and Technical Programs.
According to texashireddata.org, in the fall 2010 semester, nearly 570 TJC students were admitted into four-year Texas colleges. More and more students are transferring to four-year universities. Various TJC students have a GPA that is less than 2.0, and this makes their chances of attending a good university slim. Once students understand what they will need, that they must maintain a GPA of 2.0 or above and prepare for transferring early, they can create more of an opportunity for themselves.
Students also need to figure out how to pay for four-year schools. Scholarships and financial aid could be of help to them.
“What I will advise students to do is to first check the school website that they are interested in attending, and check the deadline scholarship requirements. Find out if the application is online,” said Katie Hall, TJC coordinator of scholarships.
For the students who want to apply for a scholarship to transfer to a university, they can use the TJC university scholarship; it’s important to understand the scholarship application condition. Most of the information will be on the university website.
Deadlines for admission, financial aid and scholarship are usually in the early spring for fall transfers and in the late fall for spring transfers. So, the most important part is to make note of deadlines.
For more information, students should contact the Scholarships Program Coordinator, Katie Hall, at 903-510-2386 or khal@tjc.edu, or contact an academic adviser. The advising office is on the second floor of Roger’s Student Center and can be contacted by calling 903-510-2425.
Article by: Yanan Yu
