What is the California Community College Transfer Guarantee?

I'm a bit confused about the transfer guarantee for California community colleges. Can someone explain how it works, and what requirements I need to meet to benefit from this guarantee? Are there specific schools that participate more than others?

I'd be happy to explain the California Community College Transfer Guarantee. It's a set of programs that helps California community college students to transfer to a 4-year university in California. The guarantee essentially means that students who meet certain requirements are ensured admission to particular institutions. There are two primary programs.

One is the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) program. Through this program, students who complete an associate degree at a California community college are guaranteed admission to a California State University (CSU) campus. They are also given priority admission consideration to their local CSU campus and to a program that is deemed similar to their community college major or area of emphasis.

The other program is TAG, the Transfer Admission Guarantee. Six UC campuses offer guaranteed transfer admission to students from all California Community Colleges (CCC). This includes UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Santa Cruz. Eligibility requirements vary by campus, but they typically include specifications on units completed and GPA.

Both of these programs require students to complete specific courses and maintain a certain GPA to be eligible for the guarantee. The specific course and GPA requirements vary based on the intended major and target institution, so you would need to work closely with your community college counselor to plan your coursework accordingly.

You also inquired about specific schools that participate more than others. While all CSUs are part of the ADT program, on the UC side, only six universities (as mentioned above) participate in the TAG program. The other three UC institutions -- UC Berkeley, UCLA, and UC San Diego -- do not have TAG pathways, but they do maintain articulation agreements with California community colleges to facilitate transfer admission. It is, however, more competitive to transfer to these institutions as their admission is not guaranteed.

I hope this answer clarifies the California Community College Transfer Guarantee and how it works.