Minimum Grade Standards for the Acceptance
and Application of Transfer Credit

1. Purpose

To define minimum grade standards under which undergraduate college-level transfer credit is accepted and applied toward degree requirements, ensuring consistent treatment across SUNY in alignment with Board of Trustees policy, the SUNY General Education Framework, and SUNY Seamless Transfer policies. The policy draws on Middle States Commission on Higher Education policies and procedures, best‑practice guidance from AACRAO, and public systems’ transfer/articulation frameworks.

2. Authority and Background

This policy is issued pursuant to the authority of the SUNY Board of Trustees Policy on Student Mobility and Seamless Transfer, including:

• Board of Trustees Resolution 2009-138 (Student Mobility);
• Board of Trustees Resolution 2012-089 (Seamless Transfer Requirements); and
• System guidance issued through the Memorandum to Presidents (MTP), Volume 13, Number 3 (June 13, 2013).

The policy is further informed by guidance from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), best practices promulgated by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), and transfer frameworks used by peer public higher education systems.

3. Policy Statement

All SUNY campuses shall evaluate grades earned in transfer coursework from prior SUNY institutions in a manner consistent with the standards applied to equivalent coursework completed as courses in residence by non-transfer students.

4. Scope

This policy applies to undergraduate-level coursework that was satisfactorily completed at a SUNY institution prior to matriculation at a receiving SUNY institution. This policy does not govern post-matriculation transfer coursework, which may be subject to separate campus approval processes.

5. Implementation Standards

5.1 Grade Acceptance and Applicability

a. When evaluating incoming transfer credit, each SUNY campus shall determine course applicability using the same grading standards applied to equivalent coursework completed in residence by non-transfer students.

b. If a grade is considered passing and applicable toward degree requirements for a non-transfer student at the receiving campus, the same grade shall be accepted when earned in an equivalent course when transferred from another SUNY campus.

5.2 Higher Minimum Grade Requirement

If a receiving SUNY campus requires a minimum grade that is higher than its standard passing grade to satisfy a requirement or prerequisite, that same minimum grade requirement shall apply equally to transfer students. The requirement must be:

• applied consistently to both transfer and non-transfer students; and
• clearly articulated in published campus requirements; and
• consistent with SUNY Seamless Transfer and General Education policies.

5.3 Alternative Grading Modes

a. If a receiving campus permits non-transfer students to apply coursework completed under alternative grading modes (e.g., pass/fail, satisfactory/unsatisfactory) toward degree requirements or prerequisites, the campus shall also accept transfer credit completed under the same or equivalent grading modes from another SUNY institution, provided that:

• the receiving campus accepts the same or equivalent alternative grading modes for non-transfer students to satisfy the same requirement; and
• the originating institution clearly documents, through an official transcript legend or grading policy, the minimum letter grade or performance level required to earn the pass or satisfactory designation; and
• the documented minimum letter grade or performance level is considered satisfactory for fulfillment of the requirement at the receiving campus.

b. Receiving campuses may establish limits on the number of courses completed under alternative grading modes that may be applied toward degree requirements. Any such limits must be applied consistently to transfer and non-transfer students.

5.4 Transfer GPA and Programmatic GPA Standards

a. Campuses may maintain minimum transfer GPA requirements for admission, program entry, or major declaration. All such GPA standards and calculation methods must be clearly articulated in published admissions and academic policies.

b. Where academic programs require a minimum GPA for specific coursework, categories, or continued progress, receiving campuses may include grades earned in transfer coursework when calculating GPA for the purpose of determining credit acceptance or requirement fulfillment.

c. Transfer credit may be denied when inclusion of a transfer course would prevent a student from meeting an established GPA requirement, provided that:

• The GPA standard is applied consistently to both transfer and non-transfer students; and
• The GPA requirement is clearly stated in published campus requirements.

5.5 Credits in Residence and Credit Limits

a. Limits on the number of transfer credits accepted are permitted where campuses have credits-in-residence requirements (residency requirements).

b. Campuses must clearly publish the minimum credits that must be completed in residence to earn the degree and, if applicable, minimum in-major ‑majoror in-program credits in residence.  

c. If a student’s transfer credits exceed the allowable amount, the campus shall prioritize the acceptance of courses that best fulfill degree requirements to the maximum benefit of the student.  

5.6 Post-Matriculation Coursework

a. This policy applies only to coursework completed prior to matriculation.

b. Campuses may maintain distinct approval standards and procedures for post-matriculation transfer coursework and cross-registration, provided such policies are:

• Clearly communicated to all students and applicants; and
• applied consistently to both transfer and non-transfer students.

5.7 Official Transcripts and Deadlines

a. Students are responsible for ensuring that final, official transcripts are submitted by published deadlines.

b. Receiving campuses may establish reasonable transcript receipt deadlines and may apply post-matriculation policies to transcripts received after those deadlines, provided that such deadlines are:

• Clearly communicated to all students and applicants;
• applied consistently to both transfer and non-transfer students;
• structured to reasonably account for institutional processing and transmission timelines; and
• designed to hold students harmless when delays occur due to circumstances beyond the student’s control.

5.8 COVID-19 Grading Exceptions

Campuses shall continue to follow the transfer credit acceptance guidance issued in April 2020 regarding the use of pass/fail and satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading modes implemented during the COVID-19 emergency.

5.9 Engagement and Oversight

SUNY campuses shall engage faculty and other appropriate academic and administrative professionals in the development, review, and implementation of any local policies and procedures required to comply with this SUNY policy.

6. Compliance, Communication, and Assessment

a. SUNY campuses shall engage faculty and other appropriate academic and administrative professionals in the development, review, and implementation of any local policies and procedures required to comply with this SUNY policy.

b. Campuses must publish the following with respect to grade acceptance at minimum: 

• campus transfer grade acceptance policies in accordance with this policy;
• requirements, prerequisites, and any programs or degree requirements that impose higher minimum grade or GPA standards;
• applicable limits on the acceptance of credit due to campus credit in residence policies, including policies that apply to majors, minors and other specific campus requirements; and
• policies on the acceptance of courses completed using an alternate grading mode and any applicable credit limits. 

c. Campuses shall revise transfer credit appeal policies as necessary to align with this policy and ensure students are informed of any new or modified appeal procedures.

d. This policy will be reviewed on a regular cycle by the Transfer Advisory Council to ensure alignment with SUNY’s strategic goals, accreditation standards, and evolving best practices in transfer and articulation. 

7. Policy Effective Date

This policy applies to all transfer credit evaluations processed on or after [Effective Date to be Determined] and shall be codified in campus catalogs and registrar procedures.

8. Definitions

Alternative Grading Mode: An institutionally approved grading system that does not use traditional letter grades or numeric equivalents and instead records course outcomes using performance thresholds such as pass/fail, satisfactory/unsatisfactory, or credit/no credit, as defined by institutional policy.

Applicability (of Credit): The determination that a course satisfies a specific degree requirement, prerequisite, general education requirement, or elective requirement at the receiving institution.

Credits in Residence / Residency Requirement: The minimum number of credits that must be completed at the degree‑granting (receiving) institution in order to earn a SUNY degree. Residency requirements may apply to overall degree credits and, where applicable, to major or program requirements.

Equivalent Coursework: Coursework determined by a receiving campus to be substantially similar in content, level, learning outcomes, and credit value to its own offerings, as determined under SUNY and local campus policies.

Matriculation: The point at which a student is formally admitted to and enrolled in a SUNY institution as a degree‑seeking student.

Non-Transfer Student: An undergraduate student who is enrolled at the transfer receiving institution and did not attend any college or university after completing/terminating their high school education.

Originating (Sending) SUNY Institution: The SUNY institution at which a student previously enrolled and completed coursework that is submitted for evaluation and potential transfer credit at the receiving SUNY institution.

Post‑Matriculation Transfer Coursework: Coursework completed after a student has matriculated at the receiving SUNY institution, including coursework taken at another institution through cross‑registration, study abroad/away or external enrollment.

Programmatic GPA: GPA calculated using a defined subset of coursework, such as courses within a major, program, or discipline, for purposes of program entry, continuation, or completion.

Receiving SUNY Institution: The SUNY institution where a student is matriculated or intending to matriculate and seeking to apply transfer credit toward a degree program. The receiving institution determines the equivalency, applicability, and acceptance of transfer coursework for awarding credit.

Transfer GPA: A GPA calculated using grades earned in applied transfer coursework.

Transfer Student: An undergraduate student who is enrolled at the transfer receiving institution for the first time in the current term, but who has attended another college or university prior to the current term.