TransferPlanner vs ASSIST
What ASSIST does well
- It's California's official record of which community college courses transfer to UC and CSU, and it's free.
- Every ASSIST agreement on TransferPlanner is read from it word for word, and a course match counts only for its agreement's academic year.
- It's where you confirm a course match, and TransferPlanner names the exact agreement to check there.
What ASSIST doesn't do
- Private universities. ASSIST covers UC and CSU only. Stanford's, USC's and Caltech's transfer rules are on file here, quoted from their own pages (see What we cover).
- Your plan. ASSIST shows one agreement at a time. TransferPlanner checks your own courses and AP or IB scores against your university's rules, and shows what you've finished, what you're taking, what's still needed and your next step.
- Changes. ASSIST doesn't flag a change for you. When the official page behind one of your rules changes, your plan marks it “Source changed” and shows what it affects.
When ASSIST is all you need
If you're transferring to one UC or CSU campus in one major, and you're happy to check each course on ASSIST yourself with your counselor, ASSIST may be all you need.
What it costs
ASSIST is free. TransferPlanner Plus: Free for 7 days, then $9 a month. Cancel anytime.
Questions
Is TransferPlanner part of ASSIST?
No. TransferPlanner isn't affiliated with ASSIST, UC, CSU or any college. It reads ASSIST's agreements and links to them, so you can confirm every match on ASSIST itself.
Why pay for TransferPlanner when ASSIST is free?
ASSIST covers UC and CSU only, and it shows agreements, not your plan. TransferPlanner checks your own courses and AP or IB scores against your university's rules, including private universities such as Stanford and USC, and shows what's left and what's next. Free for 7 days, then $9 a month. Cancel anytime.
Does TransferPlanner replace my counselor?
No. It's a planning tool: confirm your plan with your counselor and the official sources it links to. You can print your plan or share a link to bring to your appointment.