Radical admissions: California pinches pennies via controversial admissions program.

Early April is a tense time for California's high school seniors. Traditionally, that's when they learn whether or not they've been accepted into the University of California or California State system. But this April will be rougher than past ones, notes Susan Wilbur, UC director of Admissions. That's because Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has mandated striking revision. UC, for example, is being asked to cut freshman enrollment by 3,200. These students will be shut out of the four-year higher ed system--at least for now.

Schwarzenegger is softening the sting with a unique proposal: The state will foot the tuition bill for eligible students to spend the first two years of their college careers at one of the state's community colleges (provided they complete all the course work); then they can complete their undergraduate degrees at UC or Cal State. Schwarzenegger says that even subsidizing two years of community college, the state can save an estimated $46 million because community college tuition is cheaper than the per-student state subsidy for full-time students in the UC and Cal State systems ($4,100 vs. $7,200 for a CSU student and $14,300 for a UC student).

The plan is called a Guaranteed Transfer Option, says Wilbur, who adds, "It came on the radar screen in January, and we are still working out the details. The option of having the state pay the full tuition for two years at a community college is stiff in the proposal stage."

Under California Law, she says, the top 12.5 percent of high school seniors are allowed to enter the state system. "We are committed to finding these students a place in the system," she states.

Still, who, precisely, will determine which students will rate the community college option--and which won't? That's up to the individual admissions directors at the various campuses, Wilbur explains. The schools use different admissions models: some assign points to applications, and some perform a more holistic reading.

"We don't know and won't know how many students will be asked to attend community colleges until all the campuses have made their decisions," Wilbur says, adding, "In early April, they will send that information to the office of the president. This is where I work. Then we'll see how many eligible students didn't get an offer for freshman enrollment at UC."

Obviously, the new program will affect administrators as well as students; procedures will change, and that will impact jobs.

"Certainly, this new program requires quite a bit of coordination with the nine UC campuses," says Wilbur. "We know this is a difficult time for students and we take that very seriously. It will be disappointing to students (and families) if they are not guaranteed a space at UC." Clear communication is key. But there has been a lot of work behind the scenes to build new Web sites that provide timely information for students when they are offered the Guaranteed Transfer Option for the community college system. They will also be able to indicate whether they are taking the offer, or not.