Last month, it was the University of California.

Now, the other shoe has fallen: California State University will notify 3,800 high school seniors by month's end that they are good enough to enter the system, but they'll have to wait two years if they want to attend one of the eight most selective or popular campuses.

More than one-fourth of the affected students applied to California State University, Fullerton.

"It's devastating for the kids," said Leticia Vargas, a counselor at Saddleback High School in Santa Ana. "They strive to meet all the requirements, only to be told there's not money to support them."

The 23-campus Cal State system faces a proposed $213 million, or 8 percent, dip in state funding next year because of the ongoing budget crisis. To cope, eight campuses will invite graduating seniors to come back after spending two years in a community college.

In addition to Fullerton, the campuses are Chico, Long Beach, Pomona, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, San Marcos and Sonoma. The deferred students also have the option of applying to one of the 15 other Cal State campuses, where admissions are still open.

Students entering an enrollment community-college contract will lock in a spot at the university they applied to after meeting specific requirements.

Under the "guaranteed admission" program – subject to Legislative approval in June – the community-college courses will be free.

Last month, 7,600 UC-eligible high school students were made the same offer. Of those, 2,337 had applied to the University of California, Irvine.

"California is not honoring the commitment of access and affordability," said Dr. G. Nanjundappa, president of Cal State Fullerton's chapter of the California Faculty Association. Already reeling from earlier rounds of state budget cuts, Cal State Fullerton accepted only 30,848 students for spring semester, a decline from fall of 1,744 students. "We closed the admission window early because we have so little funding," said Paula Selleck, a university spokeswoman.

University students saw a 30 percent fee increase last year. In January, they were jolted again when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed another 10 percent fee increase for undergraduates and 40 percent for graduates.

The governor, however, is expected today to announce an agreement with UC and CSU to end the severe cuts to education.

While cuts proposed for the 2004-05 fiscal year would remain intact, Schwarzenegger is expected to propose a 4-percent-per-year increase in funding for higher education in future years.

Students may also receive a reprieve from the spiraling fees. The question, however, is whether any proposal the university systems strike with Schwarzenegger will pass the Legislature.

Affected high school seniors have until June 1 to enter into the two-year contracts.

Yet Cal State won't be notifying students - including about 1,000 who hoped to attend Cal State Fullerton - until later this month, which will cause students and their parents to scramble.

"It's a sudden kink," said Cheryl Jupiter, transfer director at Orange Coast College, which transfers the third-largest number of students in the state to the CSU and UC systems. "Parents are already calling to ask about how to handle this."

While it's too early to tell how many will accept the contract offers, Jupiter forecasts that it will only make transferring to a four-year university even more competitive. Especially vulnerable will be "traditional" community college students who might not have the GPAs the contract students do, she said.

"The game has changed," Jupiter said.

Some deferred students are looking at the bright side.

Foothill High School counselor Joanne Ehret said one of her students was given a deferral for UCI and UC Berkeley, the latter being his dream college.

"Obviously, he was disappointed," Ehret said, "but he said, 'If this is my ticket to UC Berkeley, then I'll do it.' "

ADMISSIONS STANDARDS
Each California high school student who meets a set of minimum criteria is eligible to attend a University of California or California State University campus. Selective campuses require more.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
• Admits those in the top 12.5 percent academically among state's high school seniors or those in top 4 percent of a student's school.
• Complete a series of core academic subjects in high school known as the "A-G requirements."
• Take SAT I or the ACT, and SAT II exams.
• Eligibility determined on scale that combines GPA in A-G courses and SAT scores.

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY
• Policy is to admit those in the top 33.3 percent of the state's high school seniors academically.
• Complete a series of core academic subjects in high school with a "C" grade or better.
• Minimum 2.0 GPA.
• Take SAT I or ACT exam.
• Eligibility determined on scale that combines GPA in core courses and SAT or ACT scores.