Transient Student
Transient is a word used to describe a degree-seeking student who wishes to take courses at an institution other than Oglethorpe University.
Students who chose to do this can pursue credit in one of two ways- either via ARCHE or by applying as a transient student directly to another institution. Let’s take a quick look at the differences between these two:
Transient
- Courses can be taken at any regionally accredited institution in the United States
- You pay tuition directly to the host institution
- There is no limit to the number of transient courses that can be taken with approval
ARCHE
- Only applies to institutions which are a member of the Atlanta regional consortium
- You pay your tuition for the courses as if you were taking an additional course at Oglethorpe
- You cannot register for more than 2 ARCHE courses in any semester
Transient requirements:
- Coursework must be pursued at a regionally accredited institution.
- You must earn a grade of “C-“ or better to have those credits accepted.
- Credits will be added to your Oglethorpe transcript, but they will not be used to calculate your GPA. This includes courses you may be attempting to repeat at another institution.
- Any credits based on a quarter system are converted to semester credit hours and no more semester credit hours can be awarded at Oglethorpe than were given at the original institution.
Additional information can be found in the University Bulletin section 6.8.6.
How to apply to be a transient student
- Step 1: Determine what schools will be offering the course/courses you wish to take
- Step 2: Apply to your desired school/schools as a transient student
- Step 3: Submit any documentation required by the host institution
- Step 4: Complete the Oglethorpe University Registration Change Form
- Step 5: Have it approved by your academic advisor
- Step 6: Have it approved by the program coordinator if applicable*
- Step 7: Enrollment Services will produce a Letter of Good Standing and email it to you or the institution once your Transient Student Application is submitted and approved by all necessary parties
- Step 8: Once final grades are submitted at the host institution, send an official copy of your transcript to Enrollment Services
*If you are enrolling a course that you hope will satisfy a major or minor requirement, you will need to obtain the respective program coordinator’s approval.
Frequently asked questions
This varies based on institution. Remember, you will be paying the host institution directly. You should be able to find this information on the host institution’s website.
Institutional financial aid is not available for transient students, but you could potentially be eligible for federal financial aid. If you have questions about potentially using any federal aid available, please contact our amazing colleagues in Financial Aid.
This depends on whether you are trying to find a specific course or whether you are just taking courses for elective credits. If you are trying to find a specific course, start by visiting an institution’s website and searching for “course descriptions” or a “course catalog”. There you can find all of an institution’s course descriptions. You can filter through and find the course description to have the appropriate Program Coordinator approve it. Then you will need to determine if that course is being offered in the term in which you plan to enroll.
If you are just hoping to enroll in some elective courses for credits. You will want to search for the appropriate term’s schedule on the institution’s website. If you can’t find it by searching the website, you may wish to contact the Registrar’s Office of that particular institution for additional assistance. Please be aware that larger institutions may have long waiting lines so you may not get a response instantaneously.
If there are no issues with your submitted Transient Student Application, we will follow up with your Letter of Good Standing. Remember though each institution will have a different application process so make sure you’ve submitted the application to enroll there and followed any additional steps they may require. If you’re not sure, you should contact that institution’s Admissions Office to clarify as there is typically a counselor that can assist you with any questions you may have. Please be aware that larger institutions may have long waiting lines so you may not get a response instantaneously.
Yes, you can submit multiple Transient Student Applications for the same semester but please be sure to communicate about which institution(s) you actually decide to attend.
Yes, if you have submitted a complete Transient Student Application, you will need to request a Letter of Non-Attendance from the host institution indicating that you did not enroll for that term. If you do know before the start of the term that you will not be attending, please contact us via email.
