The program that guarantees admission to transferring community college students to UC San Diego will end 2014.
The cancellation of the program is a result of increasingly high volumes of applicants through the program as well steep cuts in state funding to the University of California system, according to administrators.
Starting in the early 1980’s, UCSD’s Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) ensured admission to students from six regional districts who took specific courses and earned a 3.0 grade-point-average. Later the program would form agreements with 33 colleges in the state.
Last spring UCSD officials raised the minimum GPA for TAG students to 3.5 from 3.0 in an attempt to lower the number of TAG applicants. Since 2008 the number of TAG applicants has increased to 8,715 in 2011 from 408.
Both students and officials are upset about the cancellation of the program.
“We strongly believe that our local universities, even though they have world-class aspects, still have a commitment and responsibility to service the local community,” said Constance Carroll, chancellor of the San Diego Community College District to the “Union-Tribune.” “If the university moves this way, it will be marketing itself to and accepting only the highest. Qualified local students who have promise will be left behind.”
Michael Cash, ASG president told the “Union-Tribunes,” “On top of the increase in the GPA requirement, this is a further kick in the face. We have a lot of lower-income students, coming from urban challenges.
“This has given a lot of students — your minorities and your socially and economically challenged – hope. If you follow this checklist, if you keep your grades up, you’re going to UCSD. Now they’re taking that hope away.”
Cash has been accepted to transfer to San Diego State University.
