Have you ever been told to “check and see” if a college accepts this class or that exam before signing your teen up? Has that ever caused you to register (or not) for a class or exam? That’s not as proactive as you’re hoping for. Let’s talk about real credit transfer security: locking the catalog.
Topic #4: Locked Catalog
What is it?
When people say that they want to “lock their catalog” or that your teen’s “catalog is locked” they are using slang. This phrase refers to the student’s catalog of record that is in effect when their matriculation begins.
Why is it important?
Locking a catalog “stops” the student’s graduation requirements from changing from that moment through graduation as long as certain conditions continue to be met. This means that if CLEP Analyzing and Interpreting Literature was worth college credit when your teen’s catalog is locked, it will always count for them, even if the college changes their policy in the future. As you can imagine, locking a catalog affords a student a good deal of certainty in many ways.
- Dual enrollment students are not entitled to having their catalog locked since they are not classified as “degree seeking” and because they are not officially “matriculated” students, although they may end up with a degree as a matter of coincidence.
- Dual enrollment students who are in an associate degree program fall under a gray area. Ask their DE advisor if they are bound by the current catalog of record – if they are, their catalog is locked (good).
- Continuing education students are not entitled to having their catalog locked since they are not degree seeking – this is true for adults returning to college too.
- Students can have a locked catalog and still lose their catalog. This eligibility to keep it is per their college’s criteria. Maintaining specific GPA, number of credits, financial clearance, etc. are all usually requirements.
- If you lose your catalog, when you re-enroll or become eligible again, you will LIKELY be under the new current catalog. This may mean your degree requirements have changed, proceed with caution!
- Changing catalogs can have no impact or devastating impact, it all depends on the change!
- Academic catalogs change EVERY YEAR.
Criteria will differ by college, but you can expect criteria to include continuous full-time enrollment in the degree program. Students taking an approved leave of absence should not lose their catalog of record. Common ways to lose your catalog include dropping out, dropping below full-time, changing majors, or not meeting GPA minimum requirements for the college or your major.
Rule of thumb: only high school graduates can lock their catalog.
Bad Advice
I always try to be kind, warm, and careful to help give good advice when bad advice is given, but this topic sparks bad advice all the time. Urging others to “check in advance” if certain classes, credits, or exams are “going to transfer” when teens are 2-3-4+ years away from matriculation promotes a false sense of security. Parents must understand that even if the college has a policy to accept/deny certain credits today, next year’s catalog will be updated and can be dramatically different. Frankly, colleges NEVER give you a transfer credit guarantee when you’re in high school, so even when we follow a current catalog to a tee, we have to be ready for changes in the years preceding enrollment.
Good Advice
The best advice you can give and follow, is to resourcefully plan with your homeschool high school plan as the top priority and to always ask yourself if you’d have your teen take this class (for college credit) even if it doesn’t ultimately get used in a degree. College credit earned in high school has the potential of being used for a degree later, but it is not guaranteed unless your teen is in a program designed to finish a degree where they are doing dual enrollment. You can always increase your odds, but you must keep your homeschool high school plan as the top priority with college credit as frosting on the cake.
Where do I find it?
A college’s website should include the Academic Catalog for the current academic year. If it doesn’t, email the admissions department and ask for the current version.
