Ontario to streamline credit transfers

The Ontario Government is developing a centralized credit transfer system aimed at making it easier for students to switch between post-secondary institutions, it was announced Monday. The province says it will be investing $73.7 million in the program, including the development of Credit Transfer Innovation Fund to assist universities and colleges to develop uniform transfer policies. A centralized website will allow students to easily identify which courses can and cannot be transferred between schools.

Currently there are at least 500 independent agreements between institutions, but under the new plan, students should be able to avoid having to retake courses they have already completed when transitioning between programs that do not already have transfer agreements. Schools will retain the authority to make final decisions on admissions. Other provinces that have centralized credit transfer programs are Alberta, B.C., and Quebec.