Transient students are students who are enrolled in one college or university and take courses temporarily at another University with the intention of transferring the course credit back to their home institution. 

Use the following guidelines to ensure you've completed all the necessary steps as a Transient student.

VSU Student at another school

PLEASE READ ALL OF THE INFORMATION BELOW: 
Students that plan on enrolling in courses at another institution other than Valdosta State University must follow the steps below to ensure that their financial aid funds will be available for the term they wish to be a transient student:

  1. Complete the Transient Permission Form from the Registrar
  2. Apply for Admission at Host Institution
  3. Complete the financial aid process at VSU. (For Summer financial, aid you must also complete the online Summer Financial Aid application.)
  4. Do NOT complete the Transient Certificate request Form below unless you have been awarded financial aid for the term of which you are applying to be a transient student
  5. Register for courses at Host Institution
  6. HOPE Eligible Students - select HOPE Only or Both below
  7. Pay all charges due at Host Institution
  8. HOPE eligible students will pay any balance due that HOPE will not pay (Please be advised, if your current cumulative GPA is 3.59 or below, your request will not be processed until the end of the semester). These students will receive an email requesting confirmation of the number of VSU hours they anticipate taking at VSU for the term requested. No HOPE/Zell Miller information will be sent until this has been confirmed as the maximum number of hours eligible to be paid is 15 semester hours per term.
  9. Submit the form below to request a Consortium Agreement to be faxed to Host Institution (A Consortium Agreement is a form that we send to the Host Institution for verification of hours enrolled at Host Institution).  DO NOT submit the form below until you have registered for courses at your Host Institution.
  10. Contact Wanda Stracener or Tanja Rouse in the VSU OFA at 1-800-618-1878 or 229-333-5935 one week after you have registered for your course(s) to be sure the Host Institution responded to VSU Office of Financial Aid request.
  11. Refund of VSU financial aid will be disbursed to the student during the scheduled disbursement dates for each semester. (Summer disbursements will occur at the end of June). Students attending Georgia Military College should be sure that they have a combined 9 quarter hours (6 Semester hours) in order to qualify for student loans; this can be in combination of hours at VSU.

Transient Certificate Request Form

Your Pell Grant award in BANNER is calculated at full-time enrollment (12 hrs). Your Pell Grant will be prorated according to the hours of enrollment. Student’s that are awarded loan funds must be enrolled for a minimum of 6 undergraduate (5 graduate) semester hours. Students must pay any fees that they incur at the Host Institution by the fee payment deadline for the Host Institution. VSU will not send your financial aid to your Host Institution to pay your tuition and fees. Students taking courses at multiple institutions should be aware that VSU cannot credit any hours taken at another institution until the consortium agreement has been received and processed.

The Transient Certificate Request Form is for VSU students who wish to be transient to another University System of Georgia institution. If you are a transient student to VSU, please contact your home institution and request a HOPE transient certificate be sent to VSU.

If your current cumulative GPA is 3.6 or higher and once the request has been acknowledged by the Office of Financial Aid, your request will be processed and sent to the “host” institution within 24 hours. It’s a good idea to check with the Office of Financial Aid at the “host” institution to make sure the certificate is received. If not, please contact the VSU Office of Financial Aid, and we will follow up on the status of your request.

Please be advised, if your current cumulative GPA is 3.59 or below, your request will not be processed until the end of the semester. Due to HOPE Scholarship regulations, all GPA’s must be reviewed at the end of the semester that you attempt 30, 60 or 90 hours, and also at the end of each spring. If requesting for summer HOPE transient status, once spring grades are posted and you meet the 3.0 or higher GPA requirement, we will forward the HOPE Transient Certificate to the “host” institution indicating that you are HOPE eligible. Because the fees at the “host” institution may be due before grades are available, you may need to plan to pay your fees up front and be reimbursed by the “host” institution. At the end of the semester, you will need to make arrangements with the “host” institution to have your transcript(s) sent back to the VSU Office of Admissions.

If you fail to meet the GPA requirement of a 3.0 at one of the check points, you can regain the HOPE Scholarship at the next check point (30, 60 or 90 hours attempted hours) as long as your GPA is 3.0 or higher. For a complete review of the HOPE Scholarship Regulations, visit the Georgia Student Finance Commissions web site GAcollege411.org.

If you have not already done so, contact the VSU Office of the Registrar at (229) 333-5727, and request the Transient Permission Form. This form is required by the VSU Office of the Registrar and is necessary to make sure your classes attempted at your “host” institution will be transferred and/or accepted back to VSU.

Once approved as a Transient student to take coursework at another school, students receiving VA Education Benefits must request a "Parent Letter" from the VA VSU Office. This is accomplished by taking the following steps:

  • Email va@valdosta.edu to request a Parent Letter.
  • The email should include all of the following:
    • Student Name
    • Student VSU ID Number
    • Chapter of VA Education Benefits being used (Example: Post 9/11 GI BILL®)
    • Guest School's Name (Wiregrass, Georgia Military College, etc.)
    • Class information (needed for each course taken at the guest school and what it is equal to at VSU). This should include:
      • Class Number (Example: POLS503)
      • Class Name (Example: Business and Government)
  • Once the VSU VA Office has reviewed and approved the request, a VA Parent Letter will be emailed directly to the student. This letter should then be provided to the VA Certifying Official at the guest school. That school's official will review your class registration and submit your enrollment enformation directly to the Department of Veterans Affairs for benefit payment.

Non-VSU Student attending VSU

Note: All financial aid requests have to be completed through your home institution’s financial aid office.

1. Complete the Transient Request process at your home institution.

2. Apply for admission at VSU.

3. If eligible for HOPE, request a HOPE Transient Certificate be sent to VSU from your home institution.

4. Pay all fees for courses: fee schedules

5. HOPE eligible students will pay any balance due that HOPE did not pay.

Note: Until all fees have been paid to VSU, your Consortium Agreement will not be sent back to your home institution.

6. Contact Tanja Rouse in the VSU Office of Financial Aid at 1-800-618-1878 or 229-333-5935 to make sure the Consortium Agreement (a form verifying enrolled hours at VSU) has been received.

7. After the transient term is over, submit a final copy of the academic transcript from VSU to your home institution.

A Consortium Agreement must be completed if you are receiving any Federal Aid (i.e., Stafford Loan, Pell Grant).  Please remember that you must be enrolled in at least 6 credit hours to qualify for loans.