Making Summer Credits Count: A Guide to Transferring Courses to Penn State

Jun 26

Read time: 4 minutes

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At Tierney Education, we get a lot of questions from families wondering if it’s worth having their student take a summer class elsewhere and transfer the credits back to Penn State. The short answer? It depends—but we’re here to help you navigate that decision.

Whether your student is hoping to get ahead on Gen Eds or make room in their fall schedule, understanding how Penn State evaluates and accepts transfer credits is crucial. This blog post is designed specifically for families with students already enrolled at Penn State—not full-time transfer students, but those just trying to make the most out of a summer or winter break.

Why Take a Class Somewhere Else?

There are a few common (and smart) reasons students take summer classes at another school:

1. Cost Savings
For out-of-state students especially, Penn State tuition can be steep. Taking a course at a community college or in-state public university over the summer can significantly reduce the cost.

2. Easier Workload
Some classes—particularly Gen Eds—don’t need to be rigorous to be useful. If the course isn’t foundational to the student’s major, it might make sense to take it somewhere that’s a bit more manageable (think language courses!).

3. Flexibility
Maybe the course isn’t offered during summer at Penn State. Or maybe it conflicts with another class or internship. Taking it elsewhere provides more control over timing and delivery.

When You Shouldn’t Transfer a Course

While transferring credits can be a great option, it’s not always the right move:

1. It’s a Key Major Course
If the class is a prerequisite for future, more advanced courses, think twice. You want to make sure the student gets the right foundation. Taking it at another institution with different expectations could lead to struggles later on.

2. Penn State Requires the Credits to Be Taken In-House
Some programs—especially in business, engineering, and health sciences—require students to take certain classes at Penn State for entrance-to-major eligibility. Always check with an academic adviser before enrolling elsewhere.

If you’re thinking, “This class is really tough at Penn State—maybe I’ll just take it somewhere easier,” and it’s a course that’s central to your major, it might be worth taking a step back. Sometimes, struggling with a key class is a sign to reflect on whether the major is truly the right fit. That’s not a failure—it’s a smart and mature academic decision.

How to Know if a Course Will Transfer

Penn State makes it easy with their Transfer Credit Tool. This tool lets you search by the outside institution and see if the course has already been evaluated. If it has, you’ll see exactly how it comes into Penn State’s system.

If the course hasn’t been evaluated yet, that’s not necessarily a dealbreaker—you can still submit the syllabus for review. Just be aware that this can take a few weeks, and approval is not guaranteed.

➡️ We’ll walk you through how to use the tool in the video below.

Important Things to Know

Here are a few more tips to keep in mind:

Grades Matter: Only courses with a grade of C (2.0) or higher will be considered for transfer.
Credits Transfer, Not Grades: The GPA from other schools doesn’t carry over—just the credits.
Processing Fee: A $25 fee will be charged per transcript once credits are processed by Penn State.
Credit = Tuition Impact: If the additional credits bump your student past 59.1 total credits, tuition may increase—so be mindful of the timing.

For Full-Time Transfer Students

If your student is transferring from another university to Penn State and not just looking to bring in a few credits, the process is a little different. You can learn more here:
Penn State Transfer Student Info – https://www.psu.edu/resources/transfer-students

Still Have Questions?

We know navigating transfer credits can be confusing—especially if your student is juggling internships, summer plans, and Penn State’s many policies. If you'd like personalized guidance, feel free to reach out or book a free consultation with us:
https://meetings.hubspot.com/james-tierney/initial-consultation-youtube

Whether your student is trying to graduate early, save money, or just take it easy over summer break, transferring credits can be a great tool when used wisely. Just make sure you do your homework before enrolling.

Stay tuned for more resources to help you and your student make informed academic decisions—without the stress.

James TIerney