IGNOU offers a ton of benefits to its students and they extend far beyond just open learning. For instance, the credit transfer scheme is undeniably one of the most essential advantages offered by IGNOU. However, many of the students that have graduated from IGNOU or are currently studying at IGNOU, have no clue about this scheme. This blog explains this scheme extensively so that one can know about it and leverage it, if necessary.
So, What is IGNOU Credit Transfer in Simple Terms?
It is the process of using your credits from some other university to gain admission to IGNOU. Simply put, if you have earned a course from another university, and wish to pursue a similar course in IGNOU, you can opt to not appear for certain subjects or exams in IGNOU. This is part of the external credit transfer scheme. However, IGNOU also offers an internal credit transfer scheme. With credit transfer, a student ends up saving time and money on courses that they aren’t required to take up again as they have studied prior.
Certainly, there are rules and restrictions that a candidate has to follow while undergoing credit transfer.
What is Internal IGNOU Credit Transfer?
Internal IGNOU credit transfer operates only inside IGNOU University. Hence, it is for inter-credit transfer only. Through this, IGNOU students can transfer their credits of a semester or course to another semester and course. Earlier completed subjects in the previous course of IGNOU can be successfully credited by a student and they do not need to study that subject again. Now, with this out of the way, here are the steps that you can follow to fill out the application form:
- Visit the official IGNOU website.
- Select the Student Support option available on the homepage.
- A drop-down menu should become available in which you have to choose the option of downloads.
- A new page will open up in which you have to select the option of the Credit transfer scheme provided at the right.
- Now, choose your program from the list.
- Another page should open up in another tab.
- The credit transfer application form for your chosen program will appear by this step. Download the form, fill it and then submit it as per the steps mentioned on the form.
- Fill out the form completely and then send it to the official IGNOU university address.
What’s The Fee Involved For Internal Credit Transfer?
Since a demand draft is involved, in the case of an Internal credit transfer, a fee of Rs. 500 is charged per course. However, this fee can vary depending on the circumstances. For instance, if a first-year student has studied a course prior, they only need to spend Rs. 1200 on credits more than 4.
Keep in mind that the internal credit transfer can take place only once per academic year. For the leftover courses, the student has a time of one year to complete them.
What About the External Credit Transfer?
This is the credit transfer that we explained at the very beginning. If a student has completed a course in some other university and wants to pursue a similar course in IGNOU, they can easily transfer credits from an earlier university to IGNOU. The application form steps are as follows:
- Visit the official IGNOU website, i.e. www.ignou.ac.in
- Move to the Student Support Centre on the homepage.
- A drop-down menu should appear in which you have to click on the option of Downloads.
- You will come to a new page with a tab or a list on the left side of the page.
- From this list, click on the Credit Transfer scheme.
- A new page should appear with Internal Credit Scheme at the top and the bottom should have External Credit Scheme.
- In the External Credit Scheme, you must click on the option that matches your requirements.
- A new page will open up from which you can download the form. Take a print for filing and
- submitting.
After filling out the form, you need to send it to the official IGNOU university address.
Note: A candidate must earn at least 50% of the total credits from IGNOU to qualify for this scheme.
Is There A Difference In Fees For External Credit Transfer?
A demand draft of Rs. 250 is to be sent along with the form at IGNOU, New Delhi. Attested copies of the mark sheet and syllabus from previous universities are also required. The complete registration process can take up to 3 months.
How to Know About The IGNOU Credit Transfer Status 2025?
Certainly, when you’ve paid the fees and got the documents right, a 3-month process can be a little inconvenient, especially if you’re getting no info. However, that’s not the case as you can easily check the credit transfer status online. Go through these steps:
- Visit the official IGNOU website.
- On the homepage, from the dropdown menu, choose Student Services. Then, select Student Zone.
A page will show up with multiple options. Choose Admission. - A new page with the option of Registration Status will show up. Under the Registration Status, an option for Credit Transfer Status will appear. Click on it.
- You’ll be directed to another page. Choose the right option and move to the next page.
- Submit your enrolment number after which the status should become visible to you.
If you are new to IGNOU, keep on checking your email, as it is only after a few days that you receive your enrolment number.
Conclusion:
Thus, credit transfer is a beneficial feature of IGNOU University that students should make use of when required. Keep in mind that be it External or Internal credit transfer, the IGNOU mark sheet will clearly show the credits transferred from the previous institute or the last year. Lastly, make sure to follow the correct steps and then check your credit transfer status from time to time.