USC makes it difficult and expensive to transfer units


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A drawing of Tommy Trojan using a vacuum to suck money out of a student's backpack.
(Nora Miller | Daily Trojan)

Everyone knows USC is expensive. For the 2021-22 school year, tuition is $60,446, and that number does not even include housing or dining. Students who struggle to pay tuition often look for cheaper ways to fulfill their graduation requirements, such as graduating early or transferring units from community colleges. However, by placing strict requirements on the academic system, USC makes it extremely hard for students to save money.

For example, USC caps units earned before high school graduation at 32. This cap means that students who took many AP exams or college classes in high school do not get to transfer all of their units to USC, making them stay longer at USC and spend more on tuition. Schools such as the University of California, Los Angeles do not have a similar rule, allowing students to transfer as many units as they want. 

After enrolling, USC also makes it extremely difficult for students to transfer in course credits. It does not allow students to fulfill their General Education Core Literacy Requirements at outside institutions, which forces students to take them at USC. Additionally, USC only accepts courses taken during the summer semester for transfer credit, meaning students cannot take transfer courses during the fall or spring. 

This rule makes it difficult for students to take transfer courses, as they may need a prerequisite course or be busy with internships and jobs during the summer. All these restrictions have one effect: They force students to fulfill their requirements at USC and pay high tuition. In contrast, UC Berkeley allows students to take transfer courses any time of the year and transfer in general education requirements. 

USC places even more restrictions on transfer units as students stay longer at USC. For example, once a student completes 64 units, USC only allows them to transfer in eight units. Therefore, juniors must complete basically the rest of their coursework at USC. The University provides no reasoning for this decision. Instead, it simply forces students to follow this rule. 

Students also cannot take more units per semester at USC to graduate early. Each unit above 18 costs an additional $2,035, making it unrealistic for students to pile on classes. Not all colleges have this rule; other private schools, such as Cornell, allow students to take additional units for free, as long as they can show they can mentally handle the extra coursework. Although USC offers exceptional funding and the Academic Achievement Award for students wanting to take more than 18 units, these scholarships do not necessarily cover the complete cost and do not apply to all students. 

These regulations make it extremely hard for students to graduate early, forcing them to stay at the University and pay USC tuition. They are unique to USC, as many other colleges make it much easier for students to save money on tuition. The University’s subtle money-making ways in the academic system hurt students, who may have to graduate later than they want and take out more loans. 

Some of the regulations seem contradictory. For example, students are only allowed to fulfill General Education requirements at outside institutions before enrolling at USC, and once they enroll, they must take GE classes at USC. This rule does not make any sense; enrolling at USC shouldn’t make it suddenly necessary to take all classes at USC. Instead, these regulations just make it harder for students to transfer coursework.

Not to mention the fact that incoming students rarely know about these hidden rules and enroll before understanding USC’s class system. After enrolling, they are forced to follow the University’s strict guidelines, spending more money than they might want to. These regulations, thus, do not only drain students’ wallets but also deceive them and speak to the University’s lack of transparency.

USC needs to relax these regulations regarding transfer work, especially if there is no solid reasoning for the specific rule. This flexibility would allow students more academic freedom in their classes and less financial stress while finishing their degree.