Students from other colleges or universities (outside the USC system) wishing to enroll at USC Aiken to take courses they plan to transfer back to their home institution are considered transient students.

Transient students are responsible for determining if the courses they plan to take at USC Aiken will transfer to their current college or university. Transient students are not eligible to receive financial aid through USC Aiken but should contact their home institutions' Office of Financial Aid regarding transient financial aid eligibility.

View Class Schedules

Please note that acceptance to USC Aiken does not guarantee enrollment into specific classes. Please refer to our Academic Bulletin for course restrictions and pre-requisite requirements. Many courses reach maximum capacity during priority registration, prior to transient student registration.

Students from other USC campuses should contact their academic advisor or their home campus registrar about the procedure they should follow in order to take courses on the Aiken campus.

Transient Student Admissions Process

1. Meet with your academic advisor at your home institution to determine which courses would be appropriate and obtain a transient permission form signed by your home institution giving you permission to take a specified course or courses at USC Aiken. Only your college or university can approve transferability of courses. Providing this transient permission form waives the USC Aiken Advisement requirement.
2. Complete a USC Aiken undergraduate application (select the non-degree seeking status) and pay the $45 non-refundable application fee.
3. Turn in the transient permission form from your home institution to USC Aiken's Office of Admissions. You must provide this form in order to be accepted to USC Aiken as a transient student.
4. Submit transcripts showing all college/university coursework attempted.  This is required as the student may need to show proof of pre-requisite courses before registering for a specific course at USC Aiken.  Transcripts may be official or unofficial and should be sent to Ms. Barbara Henkes (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
5. Verify your US citizenship or lawful immigration status - complete the Citizenship Form and return with supporting documentation to Office of Admissions.
6. Return documentation for all required Immunizations to the Office of Admissions.

Steps to Enroll:

1. If you wish to claim in-state residency for tuition purposes, please do so by logging in to your SSC ("Self Service Carolina" system) and completing the “South Carolina Residency Certification” process (button at the top right of the SSC Student tab).  Self Service Carolina is a convenient, one-stop website that enables you to conduct the majority of your student transactions with a secure connection to your academic, financial, personal and technology pages. For information on setting up your SSC account go to my.usca.edu.
2. Transient students will be registered after USC Aiken's continuing students have had the opportunity to participate in priority registration, but before open registration begins for new students. You must complete the steps above before registration can take place.
3. Angela Ryan (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) from the Transfer Student Initiatives and Services Office will be in touch regarding the course(s) that you have requested.  Any questions regarding the registration should be addressed to her.
4. Pay fees. Fees may be paid online via the SSC system or in person in the Business Services Office, room 114 in the Penland Administration building.

Other Important Information

Campus Technology - for information on your USC Aiken email account and other campus technology, visit the Help Desk website.

Books - required texts and materials are available at the USC Aiken Bookstore  

Parking Decals - all students are required to pay a Public Safety fee and are issued a parking decal.  After you pay your bill, parking decals are available at the University Police Office, Pacer Downs Community Building during regular office hours

ID cards - all students will be issued a USC Aiken ID (also known as a Carolina Card).  ID cards are made in the University Police Office, Pacer Downs Community Building, during regular office hours

Learn more about ID Cards

Campus Map - view USC Aiken Campus Map

SSC - ("Self Service Carolina") is a convenient, one-stop website that enables you to conduct the majority of your student transactions with a secure connection to your academic, financial, personal and technology pages. For information on setting up your SSC account and choosing a password go to my.usca.edu.

Transferring credit back to home institution

After your course is over, you must have a USC transcript sent to your home institution in order to have your course credit transferred back.  To request a PDF transcript, you must log in to your SSC account and select the "Student Records" tab, then click the "Request Your Electronic PDF Transcript" link.