For those undecided Californians wondering whether or not attending community college for general education is wise, let me tell you about a unique relationship some of California’s 4-year universities have with community colleges: the Transfer Admission Guarantee.
What is this Transfer Admission Guarantee Program?
The Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program allows community college students to transfer from their community college to a University of California (UC) college after completing required coursework.
Students who enroll in the TAG program will receive early reviews of their academic records, early admission notifications, and they will receive individual and specific guidance about the coursework necessary for their particular field of study. By applying for this program, California students prove they are serious about their pursuit for higher education, and, as such, they’re rewarded by being personally steered to their goal.
As a result, students can attend a community college at a fraction of the cost of a 4-year university, complete their general education and any additional required courses, then transfer to their dream UC college to receive their degree.
For example, consider the costs of a single year at a community college when compared to a single year at a UC college:
Data gathered from CaliforniaColleges.edu, assuming students are not living at home, excluding “miscellaneous costs.”
That means UC colleges cost nearly three times the amount that junior-level colleges cost. By attending a community college for two years, a student will effectively owe nearly $40,000 less for college than they would owe if they went to a UC for their full college career. These savings are particularly important for those comparing college loan prices.
One important note: despite the name, the Transfer Admission Guarantee program does not necessarily “guarantee” one’s transfer. Instead, the TAG program simply helps steer junior-level students down the path to success in addition to giving them priority consideration and admission.
How does the TAG Program Work?
The TAG program only takes your college career into account. That’s right, your transfer does not hinge on your high school grade point average or your SAT scores. Instead, a student’s transfer is primarily dependant on their college-related GPA and the completion of their required coursework.
There are other factors that go into a transfer’s application, including but not limited to:
- Participation in honors courses or programs
- Special talents, achievements, or awards
- Completion of special projects relating to one’s area of study
- Academic accomplishments
- Location
Not all UCs have TAG agreements with the community college system. The UC campuses that are participating in the TAG program include the following:
- Davis
- Irvine
- Merced
- Riverside
- San Diego
- Santa Barbara
- Santa Cruz
For more information about each of these campus’s individual TAG requirements, be sure to review the TAG Matrix.
Interested students would be wise to use the Transfer Admission Planner (TAP) which has been created by the UC system in order to assist TAG participants with the program. The TAP helps track one’s progress to meeting their chosen UC’s minimum transfer requirements.
This TAP planner will be crucial to a student’s course planning and should be used during all college counseling sessions.
Once a student completes the TAG requirements, they can meet with their counselor about applying for the eligible UC of their choice.
About The Author
After two years of writing for a widely-published real estate journal, Alex is now serving as a writer and editor for http://loans.org: a website dedicated to providing the public with informative articles on the loan and lending industry. Since graduating from Cal Poly Pomona, he has taken an interest in writing, web design, and SEO theory.
