MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Leaders of Wisconsin’s two public higher education systems signed a historic agreement that identifies up to 48 core credits that students can transfer within or between the two systems.

University of Wisconsin System President Ray Cross and Wisconsin Technical College System President Morna Foy signed the agreement following last week’s meeting of the UW Board of Regents in Milwaukee.

A proposal by Gov. Scott Walker, which was included when the Legislature enacted the state’s biennial budget last summer, was the impetus for the agreement.

The “Universal Transfer Agreement” identifies a series of core general education courses and allows UW or technical college students to transfer the credits from those courses with the assurance that they will satisfy general education or general degree requirements at the receiving institution. This work builds on a history of collaboration that has resulted in numerous transfer opportunities between the two systems’ institutions, which remain in effect.

“Building on the hundreds of existing articulation agreements between the UW System and the WCTS, along with the innovative Transfer Information System, this agreement is another step in our joint efforts to make post-secondary education accessible for more students, facilitating their progress to becoming successful contributors to the Wisconsin economy,” Cross said.

“This aligns nicely with our efforts to ensure that technical college credits deliver high value to our students, whether they pursue further education now or as part of their career progression,” Foy said.

This agreement between UW and WTCS goes into effect on July 1 for the 2014-15 academic year, and will be renewed annually.