Should I Transfer? Decision Workbook — What You Get

The Should I Transfer? Decision Workbook is designed for college athletes who are considering one of the biggest decisions in their athletic and academic journey: whether transferring to another college is actually the right move.

Transferring can create a fresh opportunity—but it can also come with academic, athletic, financial, eligibility and personal consequences. The decision should be based on more than frustration, playing time, a disagreement with a coach or the excitement of another school's offer.

This workbook gives athletes a structured way to step back, evaluate their current situation, compare their options and make a fact-based decision.

What This Workbook Helps You Evaluate

Why Do I Want to Transfer?
Before making a move, athletes need to understand the real reason behind the decision. The workbook helps you identify whether you're considering a transfer because of playing time, coaching, academics, team culture, location, finances, personal circumstances or another issue.

Have I Tried to Fix It?
Not every difficult situation requires a transfer. The workbook encourages athletes to consider what solutions may exist at their current school and whether they've taken reasonable steps to address their concerns.

Athletic Fit
Evaluate your current playing situation, development, role, coaching environment and future athletic opportunity. Then consider what you realistically need from another program.

Academic Fit
Your education doesn't disappear because you're an athlete. The workbook helps you evaluate your current academic situation, degree progress, major, credits and whether transferring could affect your educational goals.

Transfer Eligibility
Identify the eligibility questions that need to be answered before making a move. Transfer rules can be complex and may vary depending on the athlete's circumstances, division, sport and previous participation, so the workbook helps you identify what needs to be verified.

Financial Impact
A transfer can change the financial picture significantly. Evaluate scholarships, tuition, housing, meals, travel and other expenses so you understand what the move could mean financially.

What Do I Gain?
One of the most important questions in the workbook is simple:

What will transferring actually give me that I cannot get where I am now?

The workbook helps athletes identify the specific benefits they're expecting from a transfer and determine whether those benefits are realistic.

What Do I Risk?
Every transfer comes with potential risks. The workbook helps you consider what you could lose or sacrifice—including relationships, academic progress, financial assistance, familiarity, team position and time toward your degree.

What Could Go Wrong?
The workbook encourages athletes to think beyond the best-case scenario. What happens if the new coach leaves? What if playing time isn't what you expected? What if credits don't transfer? What if the financial package changes?

Thinking through these possibilities can help prevent an emotional decision from becoming a costly mistake.

What Could Go Right?
At the same time, transferring can create tremendous opportunities. A new program may provide a better academic fit, stronger athletic development, improved playing opportunity, a better financial situation or a healthier overall environment.

The workbook helps you evaluate both sides.

Compare Your Options

The workbook encourages athletes to compare:

Stay vs. Transfer

Instead of automatically assuming that leaving is the answer, you can evaluate both options side-by-side and determine which path better supports your goals.

You'll be able to consider:

• Athletic opportunity

• Coaching

• Development

• Playing time

• Academics

• Degree progress

• Financial situation

• Team culture

• Location

• Personal circumstances

• Eligibility

• Long-term goals

• Potential risks

• Potential benefits

What You'll Walk Away With

By completing the Should I Transfer? Decision Workbook, you should have a clearer understanding of:

• Why you are considering transferring

• Whether your current problems can potentially be resolved

• What you need from your next school

• What you could gain by transferring

• What you could potentially lose

• The academic consequences to investigate

• The athletic implications to consider

• The financial impact to calculate

• The eligibility questions that need answers

• The risks associated with each option

• The questions you need to ask prospective schools

• Whether staying may actually be the better decision

• Whether transferring deserves serious consideration

• What your next steps should be

Don't Transfer Just Because You Want Something Different

Sometimes transferring is the right decision.

Sometimes staying is the better decision.

The important thing is knowing why.

The Should I Transfer? Decision Workbook helps athletes slow down, remove some of the emotion from the decision and evaluate the situation from multiple angles before making a move that could affect the next several years of their lives.

Evaluate your situation. Ask the right questions. Know what you're gaining. Understand what you're risking. Then make the decision.

Transfer rules, eligibility requirements, scholarship policies and academic-credit requirements can vary by athletic association, division, conference and individual institution. Athletes should verify their specific situation with their current school, prospective school and applicable governing body before making a transfer decision.