Guaranteed Transfer Admission
SBCC TAG Partners
TAG, You're In: Transfer Admission Guarantees
Guaranteed Admission is more commonly referred to as a Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program. A TAG is a contractual agreement between you, SBCC, and a four-year college or university. Students who meet and maintain stated admission and major requirements are guaranteed admission to a specific four-year college or university.
Six UC campuses offer guaranteed admission to California community college students who meet specific requirements. By participating in a Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program, you can ensure your admission to a specific campus, which offers an early review of your academic record, early admission notification, and specific guidance on major preparation and general education coursework.
UC TAG Eligibility for Fall 2026
To qualify for TAG for Fall 2026, students must meet the following criteria:
- Must have completed at least 30 semester UC-transferable units by end of summer 2025
- Must complete at least 30 semester UC-transferable units at one or more California community college (CCC) by spring 2025, and a CCC must be the last school of attendance in a regular session
- Must complete 60 semester UC-transferable units (junior standing) by the end of spring 2026
- Must complete at least one UC-E (English) and one UC-M (math) by fall 2025
- Must complete the remaining seven-course pattern by spring 2026
- Must require no more than 19 UC-transferable units in spring 2026 to reach junior standing
- Must not exceed 80 semester total UC-transferable units, after applying lower-division limits (students with only CCC coursework and AP/IB/A level credits will not exceed this limit)
- Must earn a 2.0 GPA in all UC-transferable coursework in the current fall/winter/spring terms with no grade lower than C
- Must submit a TAG application through the UC Transfer Admission Planner (UC TAP) between September 1 and September 30, 2025
- Must submit the UC application between October 1 and November 30, 2024, and the TAG major and application major for the TAG campus must match
- Must submit a Transfer Academic Update (TAU) by January 31, 2026
- Must meet all campus-specific TAG criteria
TAG requirements vary by campus and major. Learn more about the 2026-27 TAG matrix | requirements at each campus.
A TAG has many benefits. Signing and meeting the conditions of the TAG will GUARANTEE an enrollment slot for the TAG admission cycle. The TAG provides prospective students with a specific plan of action to ensure they satisfy the admissions requirements. The TAG provides the participating universities with the student's contact information and as a result, the student will have direct access to university representatives and current information about their admissions or changes they should know about. Other benefits vary, please check with the specific school.
The criteria vary by four-year college or university, but in all cases, a UC TAG is available only
to students transferring directly from a California Community College who are considered
for a TAG, including international students (those with a visa). The University of
California defines a CCC transfer student as one who has completed over half of their
units at a CCC. All UC TAG campuses require students to meet this definition. To be
eligible, at the time of submission, students must have completed at least thirty
UC-transferable units with a certain GPA as required by each campus/major.
• Students who have already earned a bachelor’s degree, graduate degree, and/or professional degree cannot participate in TAG.
• Students who have previously enrolled at a UC campus during a regular term (not including summer session) cannot submit a TAG application to return to that campus.
A TAG is not required for applicants to be considered for admission to UC. Students who are not eligible for a TAG may still apply to UC through the regular admissions process.
To pursue a University of California (UC) Transfer Admission Guarantee:
1. Read the TAG conditions at your preferred University to determine initial eligibility;
2. You may access the TAG application now; submission will be accepted from September 1 - September 30, 2025;
3. Throughout the month of September, students may access our Counselor of the Day: Virtual Drop-in Assistance to ask pertinent questions regarding the TAG. Drop-in Assistance will be manned by our Transfer Counselors in the SBCC University Transfer Academy. The 2026-07 UC TAG Step-by-Step Tutorial is available online. Students can also schedule an individual appointment or attend a TAG webinar hosted by a UC Admisisons Represenstative.
4. Obtain transcripts from ALL previous colleges/universities;
5. Log in to the online TAG application and complete the submission process by September 30th;
- The academic history should MIRROR your transcripts, i.e. show all courses—non-transferable, D's, F's, W's, repeats, etc. The application can be completed and submitted online without the assistance of a counselor.
- Be sure that your TAG application major and your UC application major are the same, otherwise your TAG will be void.
- You must maintain your TAG eligibility following submission of your TAG application.
6. Apply for fall 2026 admission to the UC - TAG institution during the appropriate filing period. The TAG application is not the UC application. You must still submit a UC application during the appropriate filing period: October 1-December 1 for fall admission; July 1-31 for winter.
UC Application and Personal Insight webinars will be held beginning in August through November at each UC Office of Admissions. SBCC will offer application assistance beginning in October - November.
7. Pay attention to the Fall 2026 University Admission Timeline.
The deadline for submitting a TAG is generally one year in advance of the transfer term. For example, if you are transferring in Fall 2026, you will submit a TAG this fall [September 1 - September 30, 2025].
- UC TAG deadline for fall 2025 admission = September 30 UC Merced accepting winter 2026 TAG = May 1 - 31.
- Private and CSU institutions have varying deadlines as outlined in their TAG agreement listed above.
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After submitting the UC application, it's imperative that you complete the Transfer Academic Update (TAU). The TAU opens on December 15 and the priority deadline for submission is January 31.
| Transfer Admission Planner [TAP] Access - The TAG is embedded in the TAP | Now |
| UC TAG Submission Cycle | September 1 - 30, 2025 |
|
UC Application Period
CSU Application Period |
Access: Beginning August 1, 2025 Submission: October 1–December 1, 2025 October 1, 2025–December 1, 2025 & Beyond [depending on CSU] |
|
UC Transfer Application Update [TAU] CSU Application Update |
December 15, 2025–January 31, 2026 January 1–January 31, 2026 [Check wth the CSU campus as dates may differ.] |
Effective fall 2013 UC admission cycle and beyond, students can only submit one UC TAG. If applicable, students applying to a CSU and/or independent/private institution can submit a TAG for that system. It is imperative that a TAG is submitted to the UC by September 30, 2025, in order to be considered for 2026 Guaranteed Admission at one of the six UC's. In addition to submitting a TAG by September 30, all students must submit a University of California Admissions Application.
The CSUs and private/independent institutions have varying TAG deadlines. Please review the individual school information as listed above and/or meet with a counselor for additional information. Most TAGs can be submitted electronically to the University. PDF fillable TAGs should be completed and emailed to the SBCC University Transfer Academy for review and processing. The email address is: transferacademy@sbcc.edu
TAG Institutions
TAG KEY:
- Assured Admission
- CSUCI Extension Office in Goleta
- International: F-1 Visa Holders
- Business School Only
Associate Degree for Transfer TAG Bakersfield TAG CSUCI Extension Univ 2 TAG CSU Northridge 3 TAG CSU San Marcos 3 TAG San Francisco State 3 TAG
Arizona State University 1 Phoenix, Arizona TAG Arizona State University Online Online TAG Historically Black Colleges & Universities Nationwide TAG Northeastern University College of Professional Studies Boston, Massachusetts TAG Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, Arizona TAG Portland State University Portland, Oregon TAG Syracuse University Syracuse, New York TAG [Pending] University of Massachusetts, Global TAG Western Oregon University Monmouth, Oregon TAG
Business & Hotel Management School Zurich, Switzerland TAG James Cook University Cairns or Townsville, Australia TAG
Chapman University TA Gonzaga University TA La Sierra University TA Loyola Marymount TA Mills College TA Pitzer College TA Pomona College TA University of Arizona TA UC Irvine TA UC Los Angeles TA No Campus Impaction: Meet minimum admission requirements = Campus Admission*
Bakersfield Channel Islands Chico Dominquez Hills East Bay Fresno State Humboldt Maritime Academy Monterey Bay Northridge Sacramento San Bernardino San Francisco San Marcos Sonoma Stanislaus *Note: Non-impacted campuses may have impacted majors or programs. Impacted majors/programs require additional requirements and may not = admissions
