Navigating Your Academic Record: A Guide to Understanding and Checking Your SNHU GPA
For students, college life is filled with significant experiences, from attending classes to planning for graduation. Managing your academic record, including understanding your Grade Point Average (GPA) and the credits you've earned, is a crucial part of this journey. This article provides a comprehensive guide on how to check your Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) GPA, understand your credits, and navigate the transcript process.
Understanding College Credits
If you're enrolled in college, you may be counting down the credits until your graduation day. Or if you're planning to make a college comeback, you'll want to avoid repeating coursework.
To get a rough idea of how many credits you have, count the number of classes you’ve passed and multiply it by three. Courses are often worth three credits each - but not always. Because there are exceptions to this three-credits-per-class formula, and you may not recall every class you’ve ever taken, you’ll want to seek an official credit count from the schools you’ve attended. Your best bet is to speak with your academic advisor or the school’s registrar’s office.
If you’re a current student, there may be a way to view your official credit count on your own. At Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), for instance, you can access your program evaluation online at any time to see what credits you’ve completed, what you have in progress and what you still have left to do.
Transfer Credits: Maximizing Your Previous Academic Work
Transfer credits are the credits you’ve already earned that can apply to another program. If you can bring transfer credits into your new college or degree program, you won’t have as many credits left to complete, allowing you to finish your degree sooner.
Read also: Required Courses at SNHU
After losing her job in 2020, Mariel Embry ’22 knew it was time to examine her goals and determine her next steps. The five-year plan she developed included finishing her bachelor’s degree. And finding a college that accepted all the credits she earned at previous colleges was important to her. “For me to choose a college to go back to, it was a make-or-break deal for them to accept my credits because I had basically already done more than two years of college coursework,” she said.
After speaking with the admission team at SNHU, Embry felt it was likely that her credits would transfer. So, she applied for a free credit evaluation. SNHU accepted credits from the four schools Embry attended over the years. That, plus cost, solidified her decision to transfer and complete a bachelor’s degree in creative writing. “I had over 60 credits accumulated, and SNHU took all of them, which really streamlined the process of me getting my degree,” she said.
Beyond Traditional Coursework: Alternative Credit Sources
Transfer credits aren’t only earned at colleges and universities. Depending on the school you plan to attend and the degree program that interests you, you could also receive credits for other experiences. “We want to honor those experiences and award credit for their previous accomplishments if possible,” Amazeen said.
"… Reach out to the schools you’re considering to see if you’re eligible for transfer credits beyond those traditionally earned. You might find you can finish your degree for less time and money than you thought.
Credit Accumulation and Degree Completion
Assuming each class is three credits, 60 credits could equate to 20 classes. When Embry transferred to SNHU, she already had more than 60 credits completed at prior college experiences, positioning her halfway through her bachelor’s degree program when she began at SNHU. You typically need 120 credits to earn a bachelor’s degree, which consists of approximately 40 classes. In addition to transferring academic credits, Embry took advantage of the credit-bearing experiences available to her and finished her degree at SNHU in about two years. “I've even been able to test out of some of the classes,” she said, with the help of CLEP exams and Sophia Learning.
Read also: Tuition Payment Options at SNHU
Transfer Credits and GPA: What You Need to Know
It’s unlikely that your transferred credits will impact your GPA. “Every student will begin their program with a clean slate, and as they complete courses, their GPA will change accordingly,” Amazeen said. That’s not to say those grades don’t matter. Most schools require transfer credits to meet certain grade requirements, so your grades could factor into the evaluation process. At SNHU, transfer credit evaluation specialists will consider credits from classes where you earned a C- or better.
Transferring Credits to SNHU: A Step-by-Step Guide
If you have credits you’d like to bring to a new college or university, you’ll want to search for a transfer-friendly school - one with a transfer policy that acknowledges and celebrates the work you’ve already completed. Could you have up to 75% of your program done by the time you start at SNHU?
Here are the important steps to take when considering colleges, as each admission office may have different eligibility requirements for previously earned credits:
- Complete the free 5-minute online application.
- Get your transcripts requested - for free. Chat with an admission counselor, and we'll request your transcripts on your behalf.
- Receive your free evaluation. Soon after all your transcripts are in, you'll get your official evaluation. It will show you what was transferred in - and what classes you need to complete.
“During the evaluation process, we look at multiple areas to determine if courses can transfer in,” said Amazeen. The first two - accreditation and grades - determine if your credits will transfer. When you earned your credits, your school must have been either nationally or regionally accredited. If it was, your transfer credit evaluation specialist would review the grades you earned. Then, its credits can transfer if you have at least a C- in a course. The second two - course alignment and time - determine how your credits will transfer. Through comparing course descriptions between your old school and your new one, a transfer credit evaluation specialist will see how your credits can fit into the program that interests you. “We will transfer in all possible credits from previous education, even if it doesn’t relate to their desired program,” Amazeen said.
While college credits don’t expire, certain courses require up-to-date knowledge. If you have IT credits earned more than five years ago, for example, they can still transfer into your program; they may just fill a free elective slot instead of replacing a course required for students in your major. Amazeen encourages you to note all your educational experiences during the admission process. “Even if you didn’t think you did well - or that your courses do not relate to your desired degree - any amount of transfer credit can help save you time and money in completing your degree,” she said.
Read also: Visa Information for SNHU Students
Understanding College Transcripts
If you’ve ever taken a college course, you have an academic record. If you need to verify your academic credentials, such as when you’re applying to a new school or for employment, you may be asked for a copy of those records.
Official vs. Unofficial Transcripts
A college transcript is a summary of your academic record. Unofficial transcripts are transcripts you may be able to access and download yourself whenever you need them. At SNHU, you can find your unofficial transcript in the student portal and save it as a PDF.
An official transcript is one that’s sent directly from the school (or the school’s third-party vendor) to the school, employer or other organization that wants it. For instance, if you receive and then forward an electronic transcript or open the envelope of a paper transcript, that transcript will automatically be considered unofficial, Switzer said.
Colleges and universities often work with third-party vendors to fulfill transcript requests. SNHU, for instance, partners with the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) to provide transcript services, and students can order their official transcripts for free online. At SNHU, an e-transcript can be delivered within 30 minutes from the initial request, according to Switzer, if the system can match the information you provided to your records.
To ensure the transcript request process goes smoothly, Switzer recommended carefully filling out the form. She commonly sees students putting themselves down as the transcript recipient, which can lead to an official transcript becoming unofficial. The timing of your request is also important. If you want your transcript to reflect your most recent coursework, wait until your final grades are posted. And if you want the transcript to reflect the completion of your degree, wait until after your degree has been conferred. Your academic history does not expire. “You can order a transcript today, tomorrow or 30 years from now,” Switzer said. So, even if you’re applying to colleges, it can be worthwhile to request transcripts from previous schools, no matter how long ago you attended them.
Addressing Stranded Credits
If you’ve ever been denied your transcript after submitting a request, you’re not alone. have had “stranded credits,” according to research by Ithaka S+R, a not-for-profit organization focused on access to higher education. “Holding a transcript was primarily used to assist with the collection of outstanding debt from students,” said Deanna Bechard, the vice president of SNHU’s Office of the University Registrar. “Holding transcripts (harms) the student experience in several ways, including when a student needs a transcript for a job or if the student is unable to continue their educational journey …
“It was rare that we would not allow a transcript to go out,” Bechard said. “We normally would make an exception for the student if they raised a concern. Regulations went into effect last year that ban schools from withholding transcripts for any credits in which a student received federal student aid. Access to transcripts is not only beneficial to students and graduates, who can use them to help achieve their goals, but also to university staff, Bechard noted. Staff can have productive conversations with students and graduates about payment plans instead of navigating difficult conversations.
The Significance of GPA
College can be a very stressful time for many students. On top of your gpa and normal course load, you also jobs and internships to apply to. The short answer is yes, your Southern New Hampshire University GPA will matter and impact your short-term careers prospects. However, many jobs only require a minimum GPA for consideration. The chart below demonstrates how each letter grade corresponds to a certain grade point. Credit hours vary from class to class. For example, a normal class at Southern New Hampshire University may be worth 4 credits, while a part-time class is worth 2 credits.
GPA Calculator
Looking for a general calculator? Are you a high school student? This GPA Calculator allows you to easily compute your Grade Point Average. Check the "Show Course Description fields" box if you want to enter descriptions for your courses. Click on the "Add Row" button to add additional rows for more courses. After entering all the necessary information, press the "Calculate" button. The calculator automatically converts letter/alpha grades to numerical values based on a 4.0 scale. The calculator saves your calculated results in your browser's cookies. "Get Link" button to generate a permanent short URL for this page with all your entered data. shortened using the Bitly service. shortened links are public yet anonymous.
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