Metro College Alliance (MCA; formerly Tri-College University) is a consortium of five regional institutions of higher education: 

• North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND

• Concordia College, Moorhead, MN

• Minnesota State University, Moorhead, MN 

• Minnesota State Community and Technical College, Moorhead, MN

• North Dakota State College of Science, Whapeton, ND

Undergraduate students across the five consortium schools can take advantage of each institution's unique strengths, both individually and collaboratively. The MCA course exchange allows students to enroll in undergraduate courses at other campuses (provider institution) that are not offered at their home institution without additional tuition cost (see tuition and fees section below) or separate admissions processes. This expands the range of disciplines and course availability for students beyond their home campus. Detailed information of the following information can be found on the Metro College Alliance Registration website or in the Course Exchange Agreement.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition is paid to the student's home campus; the institution where the student will earn their degree. No additional tuition may be charged except if the provider institution has course specific fees in place for all students enrolled in the course that cover supplemental costs such as laboratory/studio fees, materials/supply cost fees, or supplement cost for courses in specialized programs. Students would be responsible to pay course specific fees directly to the provider institution offering the course.

Limitations

A student must be enrolled in at least one class at the home institution before being eligible to enroll in the MCA course exchange at a provider institution. A student may only take courses at an MCA provider institution if that course (or it's equivalent) does not appear in the home campus' catalog. No more than two courses may be taken through the MCA course exchange per semester. The MCA exchange is available during the fall and spring semesters only; summer is not eligible. Courses that require selective admission to a program or have a professional component are not included in the MCA course exchange process. Students may not use the course exchange to enroll in international travel programs, music lessons and music ensembles, research courses, independent studies, internships, externships, co-operative courses, and/or work-based learning experiences. A student may not audit a course through the MCA course exchange.

Credits and Grade

When a student takes courses at a provider institution, the courses and grades are recorded on the student's home institution transcript, counting towards degree completion and residency requirements, and factoring into their home institution GPA.

Academic Schedules and Deadlines

Students are responsible for understanding and following the academic calendars of both their home and provider institutions. This includes all important dates such as holidays, semester breaks, and finals week. Deadlines for registration, course add/drop, pass/fail requests, and semester withdrawals align with the home institution's calendar. Additionally, students must be aware of deadlines for courses that don't follow a standard semester length.

Registration

The MCA course exchange registration form is available on the Metro College Alliance Registration website. Course pre-requisites will be upheld; the student is responsible for successful completion of any course pre-requisites before applying to take a class. Refer to the provider institution's course descriptions for information. If a provider institution's course requires instructor permission to enroll, the student must contact the instructor for written authorization in advance and submit to the home institution. Links to the member institutions academic calendars and schedules is available on the MCA website.

Bus and Parking Services

Member institutions shall provide designated parking facilities to students enrolled through the MCA course exchange with a valid parking pass from the home institution. Parking information can be found on the MCA website. In addition, local bus schedules are available at MATBUS.