Bridge Program eases process for incoming students
Ten percent more students transferred to USC last semester than in Fall 2010, according to Scott Verzyl, executive director of undergraduate admissions.
In Fall 2011, USC received 4,505 transfer applications and accepted 2,579 students, according to USC’s institutional assessment and compliance office data. Verzyl said 1,373 students enrolled at USC. He added the USC Bridge Program has helped improve and streamline the transfer process.
“This is part of the reason why we have had an increase in new transfers the last few years,” Verzyl said. “We are pleased with the success of our bridge program.”
The South Carolina Technical College System created bridge programs to aid facilitation for transfer students. According to sctechsystem.com, students have two options for participating in bridge programs: They can be invited when they aren’t accepted to the four-year institution, or they can apply to a technical college and choose to participate in one of the college’s bridge programs. USC and Lander University are the only two colleges in South Carolina that offer bridge programs for all 16 technical colleges in the state. The USC Bridge Program is designed for students who want to transfer after completing 30 hours at a technical college.
“Not everyone is ready or able to begin at USC as a freshman, so transferring after the first or second year of college is a viable option for many,” Verzyl said. “It is important that we offer more than one pathway to a Carolina degree as we fulfill our mission to educate the citizens of our state.”
In order to transfer to USC, a student must have attended a regionally accredited college or university, according to USC’s admissions website. The student must also have at least a cumulative 2.25 GPA. However, different programs may have higher standards. For example, business, nursing and pharmacy students must have at least a 3.0.
In addition, transfer students can have no more than 76 credit hours applied to degree credit.
Historically, most of the students transfer from Midlands Technical College. According to data provided by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education in 2010 the most transfers came from Midlands Technical College, with 378 students.