Eligibility
in the Local Context
Adopted by the Board
of Regents in March 1999 and now being implemented for the first
time with the fall 2001 entering class, the "Eligibility
in the Local Context" (ELC) program grants UC eligibility
to the top 4 percent of seniors in each California high school,
based on their grades in UC-required courses. This program supplements
UC's existing statewide eligibility criteria, which consist
of high school grades and scores on standardized tests.
Eligibility indicates that a student has met
the university's basic academic requirements, and it guarantees
the student a place somewhere in the UC system, though not
necessarily at his or her campus of choice. Admission to a
specific campus is a second, separate step in the process.
The ELC program recognizes students' academic
accomplishments within the context of the opportunities available
at their high schools. The regents adopted the program to
ensure that high-performing students from all areas of the
state have access to UC, regardless of the level of course
offerings or other educational opportunities at their schools.
It is estimated that the ELC program will grant UC eligibility
each year to an additional 3,600 students who would not be
otherwise eligible under the university's statewide eligibility
criteria.
About 80 percent of students eligible to apply
for UC under the ELC program did apply for fall 2001 admission.
They represent approximately 15 percent of all California
freshman applicants to UC this year. Offers of admission by
individual campuses will be made in March.
Dual Admissions
Expanding upon the ELC program, UC President
Richard C. Atkinson has proposed a new "Dual
Admissions" program that would offer yet another
path to UC eligibility.
Under this program, students who rank in the
top 4 percent to 12.5 percent of the graduating class at their
high school - and who are not UC-eligible under the university's
statewide criteria - would be granted admission to UC, provided
they first complete a transfer program at a community college.
After fulfilling their freshman and sophomore requirements
at a community college, they would complete their upper-division
studies at a UC campus.
The Dual Admissions program would strengthen
UC's working relationship with the California Community Colleges
and increase the number of California high school graduates
who go on to earn a bachelor's degree. Most importantly, it
would send a clear signal to high-achieving students in low-performing
schools that they have a straightforward path to a UC degree.
Preliminary estimates indicate that approximately
10,300 to 12,700 students annually would become eligible for
UC admission under the Dual Admissions plan.
President Atkinson has made this proposal
to the UC faculty, who have responsibility for the university's
admissions criteria and who are currently reviewing the plan.
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an effort to broaden student access to a UC education, the University
of California has been pursuing two initiatives that create new
paths for students to become eligible for UC admission.