CSU Offers Deferred Admission to Students Redirected to Community Colleges

Contact: Clara Potes-Fellow, 562-951-4806, cpotes-fellow@calstate.edu

(May 7, 2004)—The California State University is offering guaranteed transfer from the California Community College system to 3,800 eligible applicants who were denied admission as first-time freshmen at eight CSU campuses for fall 2004 due to budget reductions imposed by the state.

The action is a result of the continuing state budget crisis that forced the governor to call for enrollment reductions at the CSU and UC systems and redirection of students to community colleges.

Students taking the transfer option will enter into a deferred admission agreement with a specific CSU campus that has room for upper-division transfer students. Students will begin their baccalaureate studies at a community college and receive advice from the CSU campus about the courses they will need to complete and the grade point average they will need to achieve to meet the terms of the agreement. After successfully completing all lower-division transfer requirements, students will transfer to that CSU campus.

“To help ensure a successful outcome for these students, we will closely monitor their progress to see that they meet the same course requirements as first-time freshmen directly admitted to the CSU,” said David S. Spence, CSU executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer. “Upon transfer, students will be prepared to complete all degree requirements for a bachelor’s degree in a timely manner.”

Subject to legislative approval, students in this program will not have to pay course fees at the California Community Colleges.

The students must identify and commit to a specific CSU campus at the time of admission to the community college of their choice and declare a major prior to completing 30 semester units. Deferred admission students must earn at least 60 lower-division units prior to transferring to the CSU.

Students eligible for this program met CSU’s admission requirements but were denied admission to the following impacted campuses: CSU Chico, Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Long Beach, Cal Poly Pomona, San Diego State University, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Cal State San Marcos, and Sonoma State University.

The California State University is the largest system of senior higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, approximately 409,000 students and 44,000 faculty and staff. Since the system was created in 1961, it has awarded about 2 million degrees, about 77,000 annually. The CSU is renowned for the quality of its teaching and for the job-ready graduates it produces. Its mission is to provide high-quality, affordable education to meet the ever-changing needs of the people of California. With its commitment to excellence, diversity and innovation, the CSU is the university system that is working for California. See www.calstate.edu