1. Courses & Registration
  2. Transient Study

Transient Study

Transient students are UNC Charlotte degree-seeking students who are also taking courses at another college (typically during summer terms). 

What is Transient Study?

  • Students who want to take courses at another institution and would like to transfer the courses back to UNC Charlotte may make this request through a process called Transient Study.
  • Transient study typically happens during the summer, but can also take place during the fall and spring semesters.
  • Charlotte is considered your "home" institution and the other school is considered your "host" institution.

Additional Notes:

  • UNC Charlotte only accepts a maximum of 64 credit hours from two-year institutions
  • No credit will be accepted for courses below C level for undergraduate students
  • Courses at other institutions are not included in the calculation of your Charlotte GPA
  • Courses at other institutions can not be used for grade replacement at Charlotte
  • You may not transfer courses to Charlotte that were taken and passed at Charlotte, without an approved Academic Petition

How to request a permit for Transient Study?

  1. Complete and submit the Transient Study request within the Academic Petition system. Make sure to do this before paying for any courses at other schools. This is to ensure that the courses will transfer back to Charlotte and you’ll get the credit you earn. 
  2. You will need to register and pay directly for your course(s) at your host institution. 

NOTE: After you complete your courses at the host institution, submit your Official final transcript to UNC Charlotte.

How to request financial aid for Transient Study?

If you need financial aid, submit the Transient Study - Financial Aid Request Form with documentation as requested on the form. The following must be submitted in order to process financial aid for transient study:

  • Completed Transient Study - Financial Aid Request Form
  • Copy of your course schedule from the host institution 
  • Copy of your billing statement from the host institution
  • An approved Permit for Transient Study Form must be on file with the Office of the Registrar. If approval was not obtained, we will not be able to proceed with any awarding of financial aid for the courses. 

Financial Aid for Transient Study

NOTE: Financial aid may not be disbursed in time for you to be able to use it to pay for your costs at your host school. Please be prepared to pay upfront at your host school.

Submitting Academic Transcripts following transient study term

  • It is your responsibility to make sure that the Office of the Registrar at UNC Charlotte receives an official transcript from the host school after the transient term is over.
  • Transcripts need to be received by the scheduled deadlines indicated on the Transient Study-Financial Aid Request Form. 
  • If official transcripts are not received, financial aid may be canceled for that term, and future requests will be denied.

Transfer credits taken through Transient Study:

  • Courses at other institutions can not be used to Grade Replace courses attempted at UNC Charlotte via transient study.  
  • Courses at other institutions can not be used to calculate into your UNC Charlotte GPA via transient study. 
  • No credit will be accepted for courses below a C level for undergraduate students. 
  • Please review this additional information regarding transfer credit from other institutions.  

Frequently Asked Questions

Students should always speak with their academic advisor when planning to take courses at another institution to ensure it will transfer in the way they intended. Students must obtain approval via the Transient Study request within the Academic Petition system for ALL courses taken at another institution.

You can submit your official transcript to the Office of the Registrar for transfer credit evaluation upon your return to Charlotte. NOTE: If you do not attend Charlotte for one academic year, your student status will change to INACTIVE.

Financial aid can only be disbursed at the home institution. If you need financial aid, submit the Transient Study - Financial Aid Request Form with documentation as requested on the form.
Make sure that you have submitted your final official transcript with your final grades to the Office of the Registrar. You can send an eTranscript or a paper copy of your transcript to UNC Charlotte.
Yes, you can do transient study for the term in which you are admitted, as long as you also register for at least one UNC Charlotte course during that semester. If you are approved for a Transient Study but do not register for a course at UNC Charlotte, your account will not remain active. You will receive a deactivation email even though your department has approved your transient study form. You would then have to apply for readmission for a future term and submit the transcript for those courses that you took at the other institution to be reviewed as transfer credit. 
No. You do not have to inform the Office of the Registrar if you withdraw from a course at the host institution. If you received financial aid for the course, withdrawing from the course could impact your eligibility for the financial aid and you may be required to return some of the financial aid funds. You would be notified directly about any adjustments to your awards. 
UNC Charlotte does not have a limit on the number of credit hours a student can take via Transient Study. It is important to note that students must complete 90 hours at UNC Charlotte. 
Yes, you can take Transient Study courses only as long as you are an active student at UNC Charlotte. As always, we recommend  you meet with your academic advisor prior to making any registration decisions or changes. You can take transient courses only as long as you are still an active student at UNC Charlotte.
You will be required to provide a copy of your billing statement or payment receipt from your host school. Financial aid may not be disbursed in time for you to be able to use it to pay for your costs at your host school. Please be prepared to pay up front at your host school.
Financial aid disburses 10 days prior to the start of the term. 
No, courses taken via transient study cannot be used to replace grades of UNC Charlotte courses. Grade Replacement is only an option for courses taken at UNC Charlotte.
  1. Select the appropriate Year/Term and State/Institution options. Click “Choose Course” and if the course you are taking is not listed, click the “override with a manual entry” link at the bottom of the course search page.
  2. Type the course subject, course number, course title, or section name from DegreeWorks.
  3. Select “Choose Course” and select the Equivalent course from the list. If the equivalent course is not listed, select the “override with a manual entry” link at the bottom of the course search page.
  4. Complete the required petition information and click “Submit Petition.”
  1. Select the appropriate Year/Term and State options.  
  2. If the Institution you plan to attend isn’t listed, click the “Write in your own institution” button.  In the Institution field, type in the full name of the Institution.
  3. Complete the required petition information and click “Submit Petition.”
It can take up to 10 business days to process your transcript. Please ensure you obtained approval for your transient study in advance via the Transient Study request within the Academic Petition system. If there is no approval on file, no credit will be added to your Charlotte academic record. Final Official Transcripts should be submitted to UNC Charlotte. Electronic Transcripts should be sent to: transcripts@uncc.edu. Paper transcripts should be mailed to: Office of the Registrar, King 112, 9201 University City Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28223
Students who have earned a passing grade for a course at Charlotte will retain the institutional grade and credit. Students cannot receive credit for the course a second time but may be allowed to retake the course to earn a higher grade. This request will require an approved Transient Study Academic Petition to request permission to retake a course for Grade Only: No Credit.

Important Note

In March 2022, the UNC System Office announced that UNC Online will sunset following the conclusion of the Spring 2022 term. Going forward, only foreign language courses are offered through the service.