Occasionally, students may need to take a course for their degree or certificate program through another college or university. The Consortium Agreement is a process where a student can add credits from another institution (host school) to the credits or enrollment at Metropolitan State University (home school) in an effort to increase their credit load and possibly the amount of financial aid.
Metropolitan State agrees to accept the credits taken at the host school on the same basis as if Metropolitan State offered the courses. The course or courses taken at the host school will appear on Metropolitan State's transcript and the course credits will be counted toward the student's enrollment level for the purpose of calculating financial aid eligibility. Any coursework taken through this agreement will be treated as resident credit and will count toward a student?s cumulative GPA and completion percentage. Students may not receive aid at the host school for the same semester for which the agreement applies.
To transfer credit(s), DARS update request is required upon completion of course(s) listed in the agreement*. For information on repeats, see Metropolitan State University Policy 2080.
Completing a Consortium Agreement
In order to receive financial aid for a course or courses at another college or university, students need to complete the following steps:
- Download the correct Consortium Agreement form below. Register for courses at the host school.
- Fill out the student section of the Consortium Agreement completely, including signature and date. Be sure to include the instructor's name and contact information. The agreement will be delayed or denied if there is no course instructor contact information.
- Take the form to the appropriate Metropolitan State academic advisor for approval. The student's academic advisor must certify that the courses will apply to the requirements of the chosen degree plan.
- If the host school is not a Minnesota State Colleges and Universities affiliated institution, the student will need to take the form to the host school's financial aid office and have an appropriate official complete the school section. The host school approval is not required or requested on the form for Minnesota State schools. For non-Minnesota State schools, students must provide the Metropolitan State registrar a copy of an official transcript showing the earned grade in the course at the end of the semester.
- The student must notify the Metropolitan State Financial Aid Office if s/he does not complete the course by the end of the term due to accepting an incomplete, or if s/he drops or withdraws from the course.
- Submit the form to the Financial Aid Office at Metropolitan State for processing. Please allow 5-7 business days for processing.
Forms
*In order for consortium course(s) to be evaluated and appear on your Degree Audit, you must complete a Transfer Update Request after grades have been posted for the consortium course(s).
Paying For Courses as a Visiting Student
Visiting students must make payment arrangements for courses as required by the host school. Tuition and fee charges at the host school will not be paid by Metropolitan State. As the home school, Metropolitan State will credit all financial aid for to the student's account at Metropolitan State on approximately the 17th day of the semester. Any financial aid that exceeds the charges will be available to pay for other educational expenses, including tuition and fees for courses taken at another institution. It is the student's responsibility to clear any tuition and fee charges with the host institution and, if attending a non-Minnesota State institution, obtaining an official transcript at the end of the semester.
Purchasing Books
Metropolitan State bookstore credits do not transfer to another institution. Students are responsible for purchasing books at the host