How the 3+1 Pathways Program Works
0 to 60 Credits — Award of Associate Degree
Thomas Edison State University affirms our commitment to the Comprehensive State-Wide Transfer Agreement, commonly referred to as the Lampitt Law. This agreement ensures and protects all New Jersey Community College students’ associate degrees as transferable in full (all 60 credits), in satisfaction of the general education requirements in all of TESU’s baccalaureate programs.
The commitment to the Comprehensive State-Wide Transfer Agreement ensures that students’ completing an associate degree shall be able to transfer the full 60 credits to TESU without the need for degree mapping. This allows any New Jersey community college to advise students in accordance with New Jersey community college’s normal curriculum and advising process and reduces the burden of inter-institution coordination and paperwork.
When students are in the middle of their last semester before graduation at a New Jersey community college they should apply to Thomas Edison State University and choose the TESU/NJ 3+1 Pathways Program on the TESU application. NJ 3+1 students will be awarded a 3-year application period and their catalog year will be locked in for 3 years from the date of application to TESU.
Students will receive an application fee waiver at the time of application and follow all standard procedures for application, including requesting and submitting all official transcripts listing prior college credits earned from each institution they attended. TESU requires all original transcripts to ensure that students obtain the maximum amount of transfer credit possible.
60 – 90 Credits
TESU requires all students to complete the TESU 3+1 Advising Form for every term TESU/NJ 3+1 Pathways Program students are taking courses for the completion of their 60-90 credits at a New Jersey community college. This form guarantees that TESU advisors are able to approve New Jersey community college courses through the New Jersey Transfer Equivalency Tool ensuring degree program alignment.
TESU advisors leverage the New Jersey Transfer Equivalency Tool sponsored by www.njtransfer.org. This tool enables all colleges and universities within the State of New Jersey to view what courses are transferable between and among institutions of higher education in New Jersey.
Though the TESU 3+1 Advising Form process, TESU advisors remove the burden from New Jersey community college advisors for proper course selection as only TESU degree-appropriate courses will be approved via the TESU 3+1 Advising Form and returned, by the student, to New Jersey community college advising/registration team.
Students should provide TESU with a new transcript following each completed term at a New Jersey community college after completing their associate degree.
TESU has developed a blanket Financial Aid Consortium Agreement which allows New Jersey community colleges to continue to process financial aid for students for their 60-90 credits being completed at New Jersey community college.
90 Credits Completed
Once students have completed 90 credits at a New Jersey community college they should submit their final New Jersey community college transcript to TESU.
Students will then be advised for the remaining 30 credits necessary for degree completion at TESU, including credits needed to meet TESU’s academic residency, upper level credit requirement and degree requirement credits in accordance with TESU policies and procedures.
120 Credits Completed
Students who complete 120 credits as required by the degree and apply for graduation as part of the administrative process shall be awarded the baccalaureate degree in which they have been enrolled.
Financial Aid Consortium Agreement
In an effort to make this program as accessible as possible, Thomas Edison State University has developed a school-to-school financial aid consortium agreement that will allow New Jersey Community College to continue managing the financial aid for each student enrolled in this program for credits 60-90.
In addition, students will continue to be advised by TESU advisors for credits 60-90, to ensure degree program appropriateness using the TESU 3+1 Advising Form.