Tidewater Community College evaluates the Smart Transcript and transcripts from other colleges specific to the requirements of the program the student has selected for a major. Military personnel pursuing programs that are very specialized and have very few or no electives will find they receive limited relevant credits from their military schools.

TCC does accept CLEP, DANTES and credits earned through PACE from other accredited colleges toward its degree requirements. There is a residency requirement that stipulates that 25% of the credits required for a degree must be taken at TCC. Substitutions and waivers can also be requested through the appropriate counselor/faculty advisor and the Academic Dean responsible for a course or curriculum for qualified military education, training and experience.  Request that a copy of your Smart Transcript —through your Navy College office—be sent to the Central Records Office of TCC for evaluation.

A form called Evaluation of Previous Educational Experiences must be submitted giving the college authorization under the Privacy Act to review your credentials. Transcripts from other colleges require the same paperwork to be completed and it is your responsibility to write for official transcripts from the colleges you have attended. They usually charge a fee of $3.00-$5.00 and ask you to provide your approximate dates of attendance, your name, social security number, birth date and mailing address.

The transcript must be mailed directly to: Tidewater Community College, Central Records/Office of the College Registrar, Post Office Box 9000, Norfolk, VA 23509-9000. Student copies or hand delivered official copies will not be accepted. Allow two to three weeks for the college to assess your record and notify you of the course credit you have received.