Students who transfer to the University of South Florida can still earn a degree at their former school.
USF and four Tampa Bay colleges signed a "reverse transfer" agreement Monday.
That means when a student completes a class a USF, the credits can count toward an associate's degree at Hillsborough Community College, Pasco-Hernando Community College, Polk State College and St. Petersburg College.
HCC president Ken Atwater says students who earn enough credits at USF will automatically receive their degree.
"It's a great opportunity, because just think about this: This is almost seamless for the students because this will all be electronically done," Atwater said. " The students records will be electronically transferred to us. We'll analyze the records. And if they earned a degree we'll award the degree."
If a student does not complete their degree at USF, they still might earn enough credits for an associate's degree.
Workers with an associate's degree are more likely to find a job and earn about $500,000 more over their career, according to studies.
HCC officials expect about 200 students will earn a degree due to the agreement.
