The Postsecondary Education Trailer Bill (Assembly Bill 132), passed by the California State Legislature in July 2021, established Education Code 66744.2 and 66744.1, which requests that the University of California (UC) and the California State University (CSU) “establish a dual admissions program as a separate transfer pathway for first-time freshman applicants.” This new pathway is intended to increase access to the UC and the CSU for students, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds and/or who are experiencing high school curriculum limitations, geographical constraints or financial challenges that can prevent an otherwise strong student from being eligible for UC or CSU freshman admission. The program will guarantee future UC and CSU admission to 2023 high school graduates and beyond who are entering a California community college (CCC) and who commit to transferring within three years. The new Dual Admission program is intended to provide students clearer direction as they begin their post-secondary education journey and greater confidence that they will achieve their goal of a four-year degree.

Program Benefits for Students

  • Support from participating university campuses and other university support programs throughout their transfer journey
  • An admission guarantee to the university campus and major in place after they opt in (provided program requirements are met in the agreement)
  • Transfer advising and communication through a UC Transfer Admission Planner (UC TAP) account or CSU Transfer Planner account
  • Advising from a university coordinator who will facilitate their communication with campus and CCC advisors
  • Access, where available, to university libraries
  • Invitations to transfer events
  • Preliminary information about financial aid

Program Details

Program Details
 UC Details
CSU Details
Program Name
 UC Dual Admission
 CSU Transfer Success Pathway
Eligible Students

Be a California resident including AB 540 students

Be on track to graduate from a California high school.

Apply for freshman admission for the fall 2023, 2024, or 2025 term.

Not be admitted to any UC campus to which they applied.

Have at least a 3.0 UC GPA at the time of application.

Be missing one or more A-G subject requirements at the time of high school graduation.

A first time freshmen who has not enrolled in any community college or university post high school graduation or high school completion

Dual enrollment students are eligible

International students are eligible provided they have not enrolled in any college or university previously and are planning to attend a California community college

Additionally, the CSU will accept students into the program who fall into any of the below categories in addition to meeting eligibility: Were offered admission through the CSU Redirect Program, but did not respond to the redirection offer; or was not able to attend a CSU due to self-declared financial or personal reasons.

A students who is eligible for the program does not need to have applied to the CSU
Annual Opt-in Deadline
 June 1
 September 30
Participating Campuses
  UC TAG Participating Campuses (Davis, Irvine, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz). All CSU Campuses (available majors for agreements will vary by campus).
Major Pathways Available
  Majors listed on each of the Transfer Admission Guarantee webpages by campus. Majors listed in ASSIST.org where campus major capacities allow.

Timeline

July 2021: California State Legislature passes AB 132

August 2023: Dual Admission pilot program commences, opens to eligible California community college students

April 2026: UC and CSU submit progress reports to Department of Finance (DOF) and California State Legislature

June 2026: The UC Dual Admission pilot program is scheduled to end. The CSU Transfer Pathways Program (TSP) is a permanent CSU program and is not a pilot program.

Frequently Asked Questions

The UC and CSU Dual Admission programs are designed to increase access for underrepresented students, increase graduation rates, reduce costs and time to degree completion and improve transfer pathways. Participating students receive a guarantee of future UC and CSU admission within three years of entering the program, contingent on successfully completing the requirements of the agreement.
The UC and CSU will alert eligible students each spring and encourage them to opt-in through the UC Application or CSU Transfer Planner tool.
Students shall have access to library, academic counseling, and other services from the applicable university campus or the university campus nearest to the student’s primary residence as well as the applicable CCC to ensure that the student is informed of the appropriate course requirements to qualify for transfer to the university and is also informed of the various financial aid options.
Student participation will be tracked by each university system’s transfer planner tool. These tools will allow students to complete eligibility questionnaires; research campuses and majors; review agreement requirements; select and confirm agreements; and identify their primary CCC. Furthermore, students will use these tools to enter academic data; track progress; research career opportunities; create reminders; and prepopulate their UC or CSU application with their information when they are ready to transfer.
Yes. Agreement requirements are set when a student opts into a dual admission program. If the student meets the terms of the agreement within the 3-year timeframe, the university will guarantee admission to the campus and major.
Each CCC has the authority to set local-level priority registration, and may wish to do so with dual admission students. Another option for CCCs might be to offer priority counseling appointments for dual admission students as these too are considered a local-level college determination.
A student intending to transfer to the CSU can request to leave one campus agreement and enter into another campus agreement only during the initial enrollment period that ends on September 30. A student can request a change of major, but it will be up to each CSU campus to allow the change. A student intending to transfer to the UC cannot change the agreed-upon campus at any point. A student may request a change of major if the new major is offered through TAG at that campus. If approved by the campus program, the student will be held to any new major requirements.
A CCC may not offer all major preparation level courses required by a program. UC campuses, in particular, might differ in these requirements. Students are encouraged to seek guidance from the receiving campus and/or from a CCC counselor. Furthermore, a student may wish to consider enrolling at an additional CCC, perhaps leveraging an online offering, to obtain all needed courses.
Yes. There may be some instances where this is a helpful strategy to meet prerequisites. The student, however, will need to designate a primary CCC in the Transfer Planner tool for their dual admission program. Usually the primary CCC is the college where the student accumulates the majority of their credits. The receiving university will require transcripts from all colleges attended upon transfer application.
Students who are eligible to have their CCC fees waived are guaranteed a fee waiver by the applicable CCC campus while they are participating in the dual admission program and are enrolled at that campus.
Yes. CCCs are requested to indicate on the student’s education plan (SEP) that the student is participating in a dual admission program.
CSU’s webinar, “Transfer Success Pathway – Dual Admission to the CSU,” held April 12, 2023, can be accessed online — register to watch it on-demand. For a copy of the webinar slides, please visit the CSU Webinars page. Please see the Resources section below for a link to the CSU Transfer Success Pathways webpage.
The counselor fact sheet for UC Dual Admission contains information about the program as well links to recorded webinars and an FAQ. Questions about the UC Dual Admission program can be directed to UCDualAdmission@ucop.edu.

Resources

Counselor fact sheet: UC Dual Admission program (PDF)

California Education Code Section 66744.1 and 66744.2 (PDF)

CSU Transfer Success Pathways Webpage

UC Dual Admission Program