By Michael Burke for EdSourceOriginally published on April 28, 2026
Top Takeaways
- Under a new pilot program, UCLA will give priority consideration to some students seeking to transfer from nearby community colleges.
- The program, which will eventually expand to more campuses, launched this academic year and is required by legislation passed in 2023.
- It’s not clear how effective the program will be, as UCLA has not clarified how much of an advantage applicants will get. Admissions decisions are typically due to transfer students in late April.
Some Southern California community college students can now get priority consideration for transfer to UCLA under a new pilot program, a limited first step toward expanding transfer access to the University of California.
Fall 2026 marks the first admission cycle for the program, available to students who complete an associate degree for transfer (ADT) in one of a handful of majors, such as geology and mathematics. The pilot was created under 2023 legislation, Assembly Bill 1291, which also requires the program to expand to four additional UC campuses by 2028.
Advocates and community colleges see the pilot as a potential precursor a broader transfer pathway between community colleges and the UC system, similar to what already exists for the 22-campus California State University system, where any community college student who completes an ADT is guaranteed admission to a CSU campus…