* The receiving institution's policies: Each college and university has its own rules about which courses will transfer and how grades are calculated into the GPA. They may only accept grades from accredited institutions, or they may have specific requirements for the courses to be considered equivalent to their own.
* The sending institution's policies: The previous school may have limitations on what information they release.
* Course equivalency: The receiving institution needs to determine if the course taken at the previous institution is equivalent to a course offered at their institution. If there's no equivalent, the credit might transfer, but the grade may not be included in the GPA calculation.
* Grade minimums: Some institutions may only accept credits from courses where the student earned a minimum grade (e.g., a C or better).
In short, while a transfer student's *credits* may transfer, their *grades* might be transferred, but might not be factored into their GPA at the new institution. It's crucial for prospective transfer students to contact the registrar's office at the college or university they wish to attend to understand their specific transfer policies.