A Transfer applicant is any individual who attended a post-secondary institution after graduating from high school. Individuals that have completed less than 24 credits hours after completing high school, may still be considered for admission under the first-time in-college criteria.
All required documents should be submitted by the following priority deadlines.
| Applicant Type | Fall Semester | Winter Semester |
| U.S. Citizens, Canadian Citizens, and U.S. Permanent Residents | Application: July 1 | Application: December 1 |
| International Students | Admitted: June 1 I-20: July 1 | Admitted: November 1 I-20: December 1 |
Transfer students must submit a transcript from an officially accredited college or university, with evidence of a GPA of 2.00 in major subjects, as well as a minimum composite ACT (American College Test) of 18 or an SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) of 960 (Evidence-Based Reading & Writing, Math) prior to registration. Students who have a transfer GPA of 2.50 or above in 12 hours of major subjects such as general education courses offered at Southern in general education areas I or S (see Catalog under General Education), may be exempt from the ACT/SAT requirement unless required by individual department or school.
Applicants who do not meet the requirements for regular acceptance will be considered for admission on academic probation as outlined below.
Transfers students admitted on probation are limited to a maximum enrollment of 13 credit hours, one of which must be NOND 105 The University Enrichment, during their first semester of enrollment. Transfer students with less than 16 credits may be required to attend our JumpStart program before the beginning of the fall semester.
Students will be reviewed by the Academic Review Committee at the end of the semester at which time they will either be placed on regular standing, remain on probation, or be academically dismissed.
Applicants wishing to request additional consideration of their admission decision may appeal to the Admissions Committee. The appeal should be made in writing to applications@southern.edu.
Southern accepts credits from approved accredited institutions and verifiable credit from international and non-accredited institutions. Credit by examination taken at other colleges will be accepted according to Southern Adventist University standards (see "University Credit by Examination" in the Academic Policies section of the Catalog). Background deficiencies revealed by transcripts and entrance examinations will be given individual attention.
The criteria for evaluating transfer work from an accredited school is based on guidelines given in Transfer Credit Practices AACRAO 2015 guide. The ACE recommendation guide is used for evaluating transcripts for the veterans of the armed forces. Transfer courses that are comparable to Southern Adventist University courses may be recorded with an earned grade of "C-" or higher. All college transfer work from Tennessee will be recorded to meet the requirements of the HOPE scholarship. Transfer credit from international foreign schools must be evaluated by a credentialed foreign evaluator. As a general rule, accredited international institution credit is usually issued with pass/fail grades.
A student who has been dismissed from another institution because of poor scholarship or citizenship, or who is on probation from that institution, is not generally eligible for admission until s/he can qualify for readmission to the institution from which s/he has been dismissed.
Transfer students must submit both their official college and official high school transcripts to the Admissions Office before being allowed to continue registering for classes.
The state of Tennessee offers several financial aid programs to help eligible students pursue their higher education goals. These programs include the Tennessee Promise, Tennessee Reconnect, Tennessee HOPE Scholarship, and Tennessee Student Assistance Award, among others. To ensure that only eligible students receive state financial aid, the state of Tennessee requires all applicants to submit proof of residency. Additionally, applicants must also provide official transcripts for all college classes taken at other colleges or universities (including dual enrollment classes). Failure to complete the verification process may result in the cancellation of your state financial aid award.