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Out of the frying pan, on to the four-year

2018 MCCC graduate Emma Muth is all smiles at graduation. (Photo by James Quick)

One of the best weapons in the arsenal of an MCCC student who wishes to transfer is the Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA).
Mandated by the Michigan legislature in the fall of 2014, the MTA focuses on improving the transfer process for community college students.
Under the MTA, core college courses, or general education requirements, will transfer to almost any school in the state of Michigan.
Every college has its own set of courses which fulfill the Michigan Transfer Agreement, and at MCCC, “students must successfully complete at least 30 credits, with at least a 2.0 in each course.”
These credits should be met according to the following distribution: 
One course in English Comp and a second in English or Communications.
Two courses from two different subject areas in social sciences.
Two courses from two different humanities subject areas.
At least one course from College Algebra, Statistics, Quantitative Reasoning, or an advanced level math course in any of these areas.
Two courses in Natural Sciences, including one with a lab.
MCCC class of 2018 graduate Miranda Gardner is currently attending the University of Michigan – Dearborn and credits the MTA for her seamless transfer.
“I feel like the MTA changed my life,” Gardner said.
She said she is grateful for the guidance she was given while at MCCC.
“I didn’t know much about how the MTA worked,” Gardner said. “But the counselors at MCCC helped me every semester to keep track of the classes I’ve taken and what I needed to satisfy the MTA.”
It also allowed Gardner the chance to graduate from college debt-free. 
“I lucked out by going to a community college for my prerequisites since it saved me money,” she said. “By satisfying the agreement and maintaining a higher GPA, UMD offered me several scholarships that now pay for my continuing education.
 “Instead of going to a four-year university that would’ve required student loans that I might never pay off, the MTA allowed me to get the first two years done at Monroe. Which – even being an out-of-county resident – was much cheaper and paved the road for me to finish my BA at UM.”
Though both UM Dearborn and UM Flint accept the Michigan transfer agreement, UM – Ann Arbor is the only in-state school which does not.
According to the UM transfer department, “Michigan does not have a general education requirement. Courses in the MTA block will be individually evaluated for their role in meeting degree requirements.”
Those interested in attending UM Ann Arbor are encouraged to check out the school’s admissions website for a list of transferrable courses.
Class of 2018 graduate Javed Peracha currently attends Eastern Michigan and said the MTA made transferring a smooth process.
However, current Central Michigan University student and class of 2017 graduate Joe Abrams had some issues.
“I took Calculus at MCCC, but it didn’t count as a math credit at CMU,” Abrams said. “I had to sign up for college Algebra.”
He said his journalism credits did not transfer either.
“I’ve taken Intro to Journalism three times now,” Abrams said.
Abrams advice to current MCCC students interested in taking advantage of the MTA agreement is to schedule an appointment with an adviser.
“I wish I had talked with someone,” Abrams said. “The few minutes it takes to talk with admissions is better than hearing your classes don’t count.