UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG), Explained

What TAG is and which campuses offer it

The Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) is an official University of California program that gives eligible California community college (CCC) students a written, guaranteed offer of admission to a participating UC campus, provided they meet the conditions in their TAG agreement. It is a formal contract-style guarantee, not a general "transfers are welcome" statement.

Six UC campuses offer TAG: Davis, Irvine, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz. Berkeley, Los Angeles, and San Diego do not participate. TAG applies to transfer applicants only — it is a distinct pathway from the freshman (first-year) route. You may hold a TAG with only one campus at a time, so choosing where to apply is a real strategic decision.

• Six participating campuses: Davis, Irvine, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz
• Berkeley, Los Angeles, and San Diego do NOT offer TAG
• A written, conditional guarantee of admission — not a general welcome
• You may hold a TAG with only one UC campus

Who is eligible

TAG is built for students transferring directly from a California community college. You are generally expected to have completed a required number of UC-transferable units at a CCC and to meet the GPA and course conditions your chosen campus sets. International students attending a California community college can be eligible for TAG too — it is not restricted to residents.

Because the exact unit threshold, the required courses, and the minimum GPA differ by campus and by major, UC publishes these in the official TAG matrix and on each campus's transfer pages. Do not assume one campus's number applies to another. Verify the current unit, GPA, and course requirements for your target campus and major on the official UC Admissions website before you build your plan.

• For students transferring directly from a California community college (CCC)
• International CCC students can be eligible — not residents-only
• Unit, GPA, and course conditions are set per campus and per major
• Read the official TAG matrix for your target campus — verify every number

GPA and course requirements are set per campus

There is no single UC-wide TAG GPA. Each participating campus sets its own minimum GPA and its own list of required preparation courses, and these can vary by major and by year. A campus may also cap or exclude certain high-demand majors from TAG, offering the guarantee only for other majors.

This is why the official TAG matrix matters: it lays out, campus by campus, the GPA and coursework you must complete to hold the guarantee. Treat those conditions as firm — a TAG is guaranteed only if you meet everything in your agreement. Confirm the current-year GPA, required courses, and any excluded majors on the official UC Admissions TAG pages.

The two-step application timeline

TAG involves two separate submissions on two separate calendars, and missing either window can cost you the guarantee. First you submit the TAG application through UC's Transfer Admission Planner (UC TAP). Then, in a later window, you submit the standard UC application for admission.

For fall entry, UC lists the TAG submission window as September 1–30 and the UC application window as October 1–December 1; winter/spring windows differ and only select campuses offer them. Because these dates are set each cycle, always confirm the exact TAG and UC application windows for your entry term on the official UC Admissions and UC TAP websites before you rely on them.

• Step 1 — submit the TAG via UC TAP (fall window listed as Sep 1–30)
• Step 2 — submit the UC application (fall window listed as Oct 1–Dec 1)
• Winter/spring windows differ and are offered by select campuses only
• Dates change each cycle — verify on the official UC Admissions site

The major-match rule and using UC TAP

A frequently-missed condition is that the major you name in your TAG must match the major on your UC application to that campus. If they do not match, the guarantee can be voided even when your grades are strong. Plan your intended major before you file the TAG, not after.

UC TAP is also a planning tool, not just a form: you record your completed and planned coursework there so the system and your counselor can track your progress against the requirements. Meet regularly with a community college transfer counselor, keep your UC TAP updated, and cross-check your course plan against the official articulation data on assist.org so the courses you take actually satisfy your campus and major requirements.

• Your TAG major must match your UC application major at that campus
• Use UC TAP to record completed and planned UC-transferable courses
• Work with a CCC transfer counselor throughout the process
• Check assist.org so your courses satisfy the campus + major requirements

How TAG fits your overall transfer plan

TAG is best treated as a strong safety net rather than your only plan. Because you can hold it at just one of the six campuses, many students use TAG at one UC while still submitting regular (non-guaranteed) transfer applications to other UCs — including Berkeley, UCLA, or San Diego — and to CSUs or private universities.

A guarantee only holds if every condition is met, so the practical work is the same as any strong transfer: pick your major early, follow the articulated courses, keep your GPA above the campus threshold, and hit both deadlines. This guide is general information; confirm all current requirements, deadlines, and participating majors on the official UC Admissions website before applying.