Educational Guarantees

Transfer Degree Guarantee

It is the policy of Sauk Valley Community College that students graduating with the associate in arts, associate in science, associate in engineering science, or associate in fine arts, be guaranteed the transferability of baccalaureate-oriented/university-parallel credit courses to public Illinois universities. Should such an appropriately approved course not transfer, the student will be offered a refund of the tuition paid for the non-transferring course credit, subject to the following conditions:

1. All course work for the degree must have been completed at Sauk Valley Community College.
2. The student must have met with an academic advisor, declared a major for a specified public Illinois university to which the student will transfer, and completed an approved academic plan.
   1. Approved courses must have appeared as transferable on the course equivalency list from the university declared as the transfer university by the student at the time the student met with the academic advisor.
   2. The student must have followed the academic plan.
3. The student must have graduated within three years of having an academic plan approved.
4. The student must have transferred to the declared public Illinois university within one year after receiving the A.A., A.S., A.E.S., or A.F.A. degree from SVCC.
5. The student must have requested and received an evaluation by the transfer institution immediately upon transfer of the SVCC courses.
6. The student must have verified to SVCC in writing within 60 days after being notified by the transfer institution that a course had been refused for credit and made a claim for the refund at that time. The written statement must have stated: the reasons for the refusal by the institution; the name, position, address and telephone number of the official notifying the student of the refusal; and, a copy of the correspondence and/or documentation provided by the transfer institution of the non-acceptance of the course.
   NOTE: An institution may award fewer credits for the course than SVCC awards; the guarantee applies only when the transfer institution awards no credit.
7. The course must have been completed with a grade of "A," "B," or "C."
8. Any refund would be based upon tuition paid at the time the course was completed.
9. The student must cooperate with SVCC personnel in resolving any transfer difficulties by notifying SVCC and submitting any necessary consent or releases for student records and/or correspondence.
10. This policy does not guarantee that the letter grade earned at SVCC for the course will be considered by the transfer institution for determining the student's grade point average, honors, or other purposes, but only that the transfer institution will give at least elective course credit for some purpose. This program does not provide for the refund of tuition for any other course, any fees or any incidental or consequential expenses or claims whatsoever, but only the tuition for the course guaranteed for which course credit is not given by the transfer institution.
11. Students' rights under this program are personal and may not be assigned or transferred, voluntarily or involuntarily. Further, no refund is required or will be made if a scholarship, financial aid program, grant or other source was used to pay the tuition.
12. Claims against the Transfer Program Guarantee must be filed with the Dean of Student Services within the prescribed time limits as set forth above.
13. Sauk Valley Community College will first attempt to resolve the issue with the transfer institution. If favorable resolution is not achieved within 120 days, the reimbursement will be authorized. The sole recourse available to participants enrolled pursuant to this guarantee program shall be limited to the tuition reimbursement of the class at the time of enrollment, with no recourse for damages, court costs, or any associated costs of any kind or right to appeal beyond those specified by SVCC. 

Additional Notes:

1. Developmental courses at the College are not included as a part of this guarantee.
2. Courses not awarded credit as a result of the student exceeding the maximum number of credits allowed in transfer are not included as a part of this guarantee.
3. This guarantee does not guarantee that the graduate will be admitted to a university; each university determines its own admission criteria.

Occupational Degree Guarantee

It is the policy of Sauk Valley Community College that students graduating with the associate in applied science degree or certificate requiring 20 hours or more in a career/occupational program be guaranteed competency in the skills represented in the degree or certificate. Should the graduate not be able to demonstrate the skills expected by his or her employer, the student will be offered up to 12 credit hours of retraining for a degree or 6 credit hours of retraining for a certificate, tuition free, subject to the following conditions:

1. All course work for the degree or certificate must have been completed at the College and a grade of "C" or better earned.
2. The student must have completed the program within four years of initial enrollment at the College.
3. The student must have been employed full-time in a job directly related to his/her program of study within one year after graduation from the College's A.A.S. degree or certificate program.
4. The employer must verify in writing to the College administration within 90 days of the graduate's initial employment listing the specific skills in which the graduate lacks competency as represented by the degree or certificate information printed in the College catalog from which the graduate received the degree. Courses for which credit was granted by articulation are not subject to this policy. The college administration and faculty will investigate and determine if such deficiencies are evident..
5. A written retraining plan must be mutually developed by the employer, the graduate, the appropriate dean, and the career/occupational program teacher, specifying the courses needed for retraining and the competencies to be mastered. The retraining plan will not be successfully completed until the student has demonstrated that such competencies have been re mediated.
6. The retraining will be limited to courses regularly offered by the College and must be completed within one calendar year from the time the educational plan is agreed upon. Should the student audit, withdraw, or not receive a passing grade in a course identified in the retraining plan, it will be included in the offer of credit hours.
7. Prerequisites and other admission requirements for retraining courses must be met and are not included in the courses covered by this guarantee.
8. Books, course fees, and supplies will be included within the guarantee. Other course costs are not included.
9. This guarantee does not imply that the graduate will pass any licensing or qualifying examination for a particular career or occupation.
10. Students' rights under this program are personal and may not be assigned or transferred voluntarily or involuntarily. Further, no refund is required or will be made.
11. Claims against the Occupational Program Guarantee must be filed with the appropriate College Administrator within the prescribed time limits as set forth above.
12. The sole recourse available to participants enrolled in this guarantee program shall be limited to tuition, books and supplies reimbursement for the retraining in the same class with no recourse for damages, court costs, or any associated costs of any kind or right to appeal beyond those specified by the College. 

**These Courses Not Currently Offered.