News
Many colleges in Ontario are working to make it easier for learners with previous postsecondary experience to apply for and receive transfer credits. Without robust technological support, however, assessing transfer credits can take time. The better these systems become, the more time and money students can save. Like many colleges striving to improve processes in a resource-constrained environment, Georgian College recognized the need for a technological solution that could support lasting, institution-wide change and deliver meaningful benefits for students.
To improve the communication and timeliness of credit transfer, ONCAT awarded $75,000 to Georgian College via an ONCAT Capacity Grant — a funding program that supports the development and implementation of learner-centric policies, practices and pathways at publicly assisted postsecondary institutions in Ontario. ONCAT is funded by the Government of Ontario.
Securing transfer credit is harder than it should be
While learners with postsecondary experience can and should have their previous learning recognized, applying for transfer credits can feel like entering a maze without an exit. Students must find comparable courses at their new school, retrieve their previous course outlines and demonstrate that their learning is worthy of the credit. Research has found that from start to finish, the process can take up to twelve weeks, depending on the workload of staff and faculty assessing the credit.
When learners don’t receive credit for courses they completed at another postsecondary institution, they must repeat learning, which can lead them to become disengaged in their coursework. Furthermore, evidence shows that learners who receive fewer transfer credits are less likely to stay in school and graduate.
Institutions risk losing applicants if the process is lengthy and bureaucratic. Seeking to retain the interest of applicants, Georgian aimed to increase efficiency in its credit transfer processes.
Improving efficiency of credit transfer processing
To improve credit transfer processing, the project team reviewed and updated existing transfer pathway agreements. Using the college’s Curriculum Information Management (CIM) system to reflect current and new course equivalencies, they implemented a proactive diploma-to-degree equivalency list for general education courses, streamlining assessment times and facilitating quicker application of credits to student records. The team also redesigned their transfer webpages for students and improved student communications with easy-to-understand timelines in brochures, applicant portals and welcome letters. These activities collectively strengthened the foundation for a more efficient and student-friendly credit transfer process, reducing administrative complexity and supporting academic continuity.
"This initiative demonstrates how targeted investments in process improvement can directly benefit students. With ONCAT’s support, Georgian College enhanced its transfer credit systems and pathway information, reducing turnaround times, improving transparency and creating a more seamless experience that supports student success and progression toward graduation," says Ashlee Armstrong, Associate Registrar at Georgian College.
As a result of this project, Georgian College has improved the average turnaround time of transfer credit assessments by 29%, from 14 business days to 10. The improvements also ensured consistency in credit transfer and PLAR assessments across programs, supporting fair and equitable outcomes for students.
To sustain this initiative, Georgian College will conduct annual review cycles to maintain articulation agreements and pathways. They have also automated many parts of the credit transfer process, which has reduced manual workload. Institutions using other student information or transfer management systems can replicate this project. In fact, Georgian encourages institutions to collaborate with ONCAT to identify the most efficient way to extract relevant data and structure it for inclusion on ONTransfer.ca. Reviewing ONCAT's data templates can help institutions make the most of existing systems and establish efficient information management processes from the start. Georgian shared key lessons from this project with sector colleagues at ONCAT’s 2026 conference.
This project impact was created by Meryl Borato, Knowledge Mobilization Manager.
To learn more about the project, contact Liam O’Dwyer, Manager of Transfer and Applicant Services.