Join the Falcon Family

Whatever your reason for wanting a change, we’re thrilled you’re considering UWRF! Being a Falcon means you’re part of a community filled with engaging learning experiences, supportive faculty, world-class facilities and all the guidance, tools and support you need to make the most of your next step.

UWRF Section Separator
Macy Nilsen
The faculty, my coaching staff and peers made the transfer process easy. It’s difficult leaving a familiar and comfortable place to be thrown into a brand new environment with no familiar faces. I am so glad I took that leap of faith and transferred to UW-River Falls because I have met some of the best people and lifelong friends.
Macy Nilsen

   


 

Let's Do This!

Ready to apply? (Don’t worry, we’ve made it simple!)
   
1. Complete an online application
at apply.wisconsin.edu OR via the Common App. (You only need to fill out one of the applications!)

2. Submit official college transcripts*

*Please request an official transcript for each college or university you have attended and have the institution send it directly to UW-River Falls. Prior to enrollment, you'll also need to provide a copy of your official high school transcript to verify your graduation as a financial aid requirement. We are unable to accept transcripts sent by students and are unable to disburse financial aid or scholarships until your official high school transcript is received.

We prefer that transcripts are sent electronically, when possible. Please have transcripts delivered through electronic transcript service delivered to admissions@uwrf.edu. If sending hard copy transcripts, please request they be addressed to:

UWRF Admissions
410 S. 3rd St.
River Falls, WI 54022

UWRF Section Separator

The Transfer Experience

The key to a smooth and successful transfer experience is good planning. To assist the process, make sure you research degree requirements, communicate with your current adviser (and us!) and don’t be afraid to ask questions!

Associates of Arts (AA) degrees from Wisconsin and Minnesota will grant a waiver of University Requirements AND General Education requirements. Specific degree, licensure and prerequisite requirements must still be completed with individual courses. AA degrees from other states are reviewed individually to see if they qualify for a similar waiver.

Technical Classes and Technical Degrees (AS - Associate of Science & AAS Associate of Applied Science) are reviewed by faculty advisers for course-by-course transfer.

Completed Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC) will grant a waiver of General Education and University Requirements (except for a one-credit Health and Fitness for Life course). Specific college, degree, licensure and prerequisite requirements must still be completed with individual courses.

Credit can be earned via a variety of exams. We don’t award credit for these exams when they have been recorded on a previous institution's transcript so you should have the scores sent directly to us from the testing agency.

Advanced Placement

International Baccalaureate

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)

Have you served? Military Credit is typically accepted for General Education requirements (the Personal Health and Wellness area is often waived for Basic Training completion and the Global Perspectives area may be waived for service overseas) and other baccalaureate courses. To award credit, we must receive an official transcript.

View UWRF's General Education Requirements at uwrf.edu/Catalog/DegreeRequirements/GeneralEducationRequirementsPresent/.

View UWRF's University Requirements at uwrf.edu/Catalog/DegreeRequirements/UniversityRequirements.cfm.

To Be Completed First

Activate Your Falcon Account
Your Falcon Account is used to select on-campus housing, access your financial aid, check UWRF email, and register for classes. Activate your account online with your Student ID number, which can be found in your admission letter.

Check Your UWRF Email Account
Your UWRF email account is the primary way we connect with you throughout the enrollment process. Be sure to check your account regularly for updates. For instructions on signing into or setting up your email account on a mobile device, visit our DoTS Knowledge Base.

Join the Facebook Group
Meet other students admitted to UWRF!

Fall 2022 and Spring 2023: UW-River Falls Admitted Students
Fall 2023 and Spring 2024: UW-River Falls Admitted Students
Transfers Only: UW-River Falls Transfer Students

Review your Official Credit Evaluation
You will be notified via email when your official credit evaluation is complete and ready for your review. You can access this information through your eSIS (electronic student information system) account with your Student ID number and password.

Join a Music Major Entrance Expo (Music Majors Only)
Students admitted as music majors are invited to participate in our Music Major Entrance Expo to complete their admission requirements. Details can be found here

Test Credit
If you have test scores for Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) or College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams, you must send an official score report to be awarded college credit.


Available in September

Apply for Housing or Complete Commuter Form (If Applicable)
Students who are 21 years of age or older or graduated from high school at least two years prior to the start of the academic year can choose to live on or off campus. If you’d like to live on campus, please visit the Residence Hall Portal to complete your residence hall contract.

All other students are required to live on campus until you are two years post high school graduation. View our residency policy for more details.

Be sure to check out the Residence Hall Portal and submit the residence hall contract. The residence hall contract does require a $135 deposit. If you are experiencing financial hardship, please contact the Department of Residence Life via email at reslife@uwrf.edu to defer your housing contract payment until your first term of enrollment.

Students that live at a permanent address with your parent(s) or a legal guardian, and in a residence that is within the approved commuting zip codes (or within 30 miles as verified on Google Maps), can request to commute. Check out the Exemption Request Form for more information.

Apply for Financial Aid (FAFSA)
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is used to apply for federal and state financial aid, including grants, loans, and work study. Complete the FAFSA as soon as possible, as some aid is first-come, first-served. You’ll also need UWRF’s School Code: 003923.

Apply for Scholarships
Complete the general scholarship application to be considered for hundreds of UWRF scholarships. To maximize your opportunities, apply by January 5, 2023. Detailed information and deadlines can be found here.
 

Available in March

Sign up for New Student Orientation
During Orientation you'll meet other new students and learn about all the resources available to you as a Falcon.

Submit your University ID photo
Your ID card is an important tool that you need on campus to check out textbooks, access your residence hall and meal plan, receive student discounts, and more. To submit your ID photo, you’ll need your driver’s license or state-issued photo ID. You will pick up your student ID at Orientation. Please contact the Carding Office at dots@uwrf.edu or call at 715-425-3687 with questions. Submit your photo here. 

Apply for Tuition Reciprocity (Minnesota Residents)
If you are a Minnesota resident, be sure to fill out the Reciprocity Application. This simple online form will allow you to pay a tuition rate comparable to what’s charged to Wisconsin residents. Please make sure you complete the reciprocity application for the correct academic year. March 2023 is the earliest you may apply for reciprocity for the 2023-2024 academic year.

Take Placement Tests
UW System placement tests are required for all new students who haven’t completed or earned credit for college-level courses in English or math. Refer to our placement test form to determine if you need to take any placement tests. Placement tests must be taken at least two weeks before your registration/advising date. If you must take a placement test, click here to sign up.
 

Available in June

Send Official Final High School Transcripts

  • High School: We require a final official high school transcript to disburse financial aid. If you’ve applied for financial aid and we don’t have an official final high school transcript, your aid won’t be disbursed until we receive one.
  • College: Send us your final official college transcripts to verify your most recent rem completion and get credits awarded for those courses. If we are missing your final official college transcript, a hold will be placed on your account, preventing you from registering for the following term.

Electronic transcripts are preferred. Electronic transcripts must be sent through an official transcript service to admissions@uwrf.edu, while mailed transcripts can be sent to UWRF Admissions, 410 S. 3rd St., River Falls, WI 54022.


 

Frequently Asked (Transfer!) Questions

Have questions? We're here to help! We've compiled a list of some of the most frequently asked questions for transfers. Explore below to check out the answers. Have a question that's not answered here? Feel free to shoot us an email at admissions@uwrf.edu and we'll follow up! 

We're committed to helping you through the entire transfer process, including determining what credits may transfer. As a transfer student, advisers, department chairs and academic deans work with you individually to help you best apply your credits. Prospective transfer students work with their advisers to make the pieces fit. Explore our resources to ensure you maximize your credit transfer options.

Please note: If your course is not listed in one of the credit transfer tools, it doesn’t mean your credit won't transfer, it may just indicate the credit hasn’t been evaluated yet. You will work with your adviser to transfer in credit that hasn’t been evaluated. Credit exceptions are very common.

An official transfer credit evaluation will be prepared for you by the Registrar's Office upon your admission. Credit from non-accredited institutions may be reviewed by the appropriate department to determine application of transfer credits. A maximum of 72 credits can be accepted from community and technical colleges and a minimum of 30 credits must be completed here at UWRF (with six credits in your major and three credits in your minor).

Transfer Credit Policy

Prior Learning Policy

Transfer students must request an official transcript for each college or university they have attended and have the institution send it directly to UW-River Falls. Prior to enrollment, all students must provide a copy of your official high school transcript to verify your graduation as a financial aid requirement. We are unable to accept transcripts sent by students and are unable to disburse financial aid or scholarships until your official high school transcript is received.

We prefer that transcripts are sent electronically, when possible. Please have transcripts delivered through electronic transcript service delivered to admissions@uwrf.edu. If sending hard copy transcripts, please request they be addressed to:

UWRF Admissions
410 S. 3rd St.
River Falls, WI 54022

For transcripts to be considered official, they must be sent directly to UW-River Falls from the transcript service. We are unable to accept transcripts (even official ones) that were initially sent to you or anyone else as the intended recipient. As a reminder, we will need official transcripts from each institution you have enrolled at.

Students who are 21 years of age or older or graduated from high school at least two years prior to the start of the academic year can choose to live on or off campus. If you’d like to live on campus, please visit the Residence Hall Portal to complete your residence hall contract.

Commuting Policy: Students that live at a permanent address with their parent(s) or a legal guardian and in a residence that is within the approved commuting zip codes (or within 30 miles as verified on Google Maps), can request to commute. Check out the Exemption Request Form for more information.

Please note: You only need to fill out the Commuter Exemption Request Form for the academic year(s) that you are NOT eligible to live off campus.

You can apply for hundreds of scholarships with a single application, using our Academic Works site. Our system will match you with the scholarships you’re eligible for. Two scholarships to specifically look for as a transfer student are:

  • Falcons Fly Higher Scholarship ($500-$2,500): A one-time award offered to students based on academic potential, background, and experiences, financial need, leadership and the potential to enrich our campus community. 
  • Soar Achievement: A one-time award that's guaranteed to transfer students based on their GPA. To be eligible, transfer students must have achieved an average, cumulative GPA of 3.4 or higher from all previously attended institutions to earn a scholarship of $1,000- this scholarship is awarded automatically in your admissions offer if all qualifications are met.

You can apply for scholarships annually- the deadline is February 1.

Your official credit evaluations are typically ready within 7-10 business days after you are admitted. Here's how you can access your evaluation and view your Degree Audit Report (DAR): 

  1. If you haven't already, activate your Falcon Account with your Student ID number.
  2. Visit students.uwrf.edu
  3. On the left hand side, click the "Degree Audit" tile. Sign in using your Falcon ID and password.
  4. Click on "Select a Different Program."
  5. Choose your major and catalog year for the semester to start at UWRF. 
  6. Click the red button titled "Run Different Program." 

Please note: Pay close attention to steps 4 and 5!

While UWRF does have some online course offerings, the majority of classes you’ll take while pursuing a degree here are in-person. We take a hands-on approach to education by providing you with real world experience and relevant classroom labs and activities. Some classes will have online offerings or a hybrid model but all labs will be held on campus.

We do offer two completely online degrees in Applied Computing and Sustainable Management. Please click on the following links below if these are of interest to you!

Sustainable Management

Applied Computing

You'll register for courses during your orientation session. If you’re transferring to UWRF from another college, you have two options to complete your required in-person Orientation experience.

Option 1: Attend the full Transfer Orientation from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

  • You may bring up to two guests to your Orientation and they will attend a separate Orientation. You can register your guest(s) on the same form you use to register for Orientation. View the full Transfer Orientation schedule at https://www.uwrf.edu/admissions/orientation-schedules.

Option 2: Attend Express Orientation from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

  • Students who are 25 years old or older or who have at least 60 incoming credits are eligible to attend an abbreviated Orientation session to register for classes. If you’re participating in Express Orientation, you may not bring any guests. View the full Express Orientation at https://www.uwrf.edu/admissions/orientation-schedules.

Please note: If you are unable to travel to campus or if traveling to campus would create a financial hardship, please email orientation@uwrf.edu to discuss your circumstances.  

Transfer Only Dates: June 7 or June 8

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Admitted Next Steps
You’re in! Now what? Use our checklist to ensure you don’t miss any important steps in the enrollment process.
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Paying for College
We know finances can be a tricky topic and you probably have lots of questions.
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Visit Campus
Whether you’re making your first trip to campus or you simply want to explore more of UWRF from home, our visit options are built to suit your needs.