In the last two weeks, the University of California did something it has never done before.

Admissions officials at UC's eight undergraduate campuses invited 7,600 students - all of whom had the grades, test scores and extracurricular activities to be among this fall's high-achieving freshman class - to start at a community college instead. It's an offer expected to be replicated by California State University in the coming weeks just as high school seniors are wrestling with their decisions on which college to choose.

Students who receive and ultimately accept those invitations, called "guarantee transfer options" or GTOs, will be an experiment for California's public higher education system this year, a result of the fourth straight year of extremely tight budgets.

With no state money to support an increase in enrollment this fall, college officials at UC and CSU say they have little choice but to shrink the freshman class. At the behest of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, they are redirecting thousands of would-be freshmen to community colleges in exchange for promising a spot for them in two to four years.

It's not clear how many will accept offers of delayed admission or opt for other higher education alternatives, but most college officials have expressed doubt that it will catch on.

"These are students that in any other year, one in which the budget is better, would have had a place at the University of California," says Yvonne Marsh, assistant vice chancellor of student affairs at UC Davis. "We have no idea what the response will be and it's very likely that they will have been accepted to CSU campuses and private universities."

Nicole King, an 18-year-old senior at Hiram Johnson High School, is one who doesn't want to wait. She applied and was turned down by UC Berkeley and this week, she got a letter offering her a slot instead at the yet-to-open UC campus in Merced.

"I decided if I can't get into Berkeley now, I'm going to Gonzaga University in Washington instead," she said. "I'm not going to bother with waiting and I think the education there will be better than at a new university."

Community college officials worry that those who do choose to accept the guarantee transfer option, though small in number, could burden the already stressed services at the two-year schools.

"This is of great concern to us," says Linda Michalowski, interim vice chancellor for student services and special programs in the state community colleges chancellor's office. "We are glad to serve these students, but we have concerns about classroom space and whether we can provide the services that they will need."

One problem that could arise right away for these students is getting the classes they need, Michalowski says. Because most had planned on attending a four-year university, they aren't likely to be registered yet for fall and may find themselves on waiting lists. Financial aid could also be delayed for these students, who would not have listed a community college campus as a destination when applying for federal aid.

Whether these students will have their fees waived - a Schwarzenegger proposal that's opposed by the community colleges - could also affect their numbers. Another issue, says Michalowski, are the profound spending cuts to counseling programs, orientation and advising programs designed to keep students on track to transfer to UC and CSU. Last year, state funding for those services was slashed 40 percent, forcing some campuses to reduce counseling staff and services.

Schwarzenegger is proposing $1.6 million each for UC and CSU to pay for counselors, Web site construction and other information that will be directed at these students. Whether those dollars are actually spent is subject to the Legislature's upcoming budget debate.

California State University has not finalized its plans for diverting students to the community colleges, said Clara Potes-Fellow, a spokeswoman for the 23-campus system.

That delay has community college officials nervous that they will have little or no time to have a program in place for those students.