The UC Regents and Chancellor’s Scholarships

The Regents’ and Chancellor’s Scholarship is considered the most prestigious of all the UC Scholarships.  It is based on academic excellence (merit), but depending on campus, may also include holistic criteria. In order to be considered for a Regents, you must be a U.S. citizen, an eligible non-citizen, or a qualifying international student. You do not have to file FAFSA.

Every UC offers Regents to freshmen, but not all offer the scholarship to transfers.  In terms of transfers, it is hard to determine the exact process as not all 4.0s with extra-curricular activities get offered it. Each campus that offers Regents to transfers has its own protocol involving finalists and winners.  

All Regents, regardless of campus, offer these core benefits:

• Renewable for two years, assuming you maintain academic standards
• Guaranteed housing for the duration of scholarship 
• Graduate level library privileges
• Faculty mentor
• Priority enrollment for classes
• Notation on transcript of Regents Scholarship
• Ability to join the Regents Scholarship Society on campus
• Invitations to events slated only for Regents scholars and faculty
• Financial need is not factored in, although the award may be higher if need is proven
• You accept your Regents Scholarship by SIRing to the UC
• Regents Scholarships cannot be transferred to another campus

Notification Dates by Campus:
UPDATED for 2020

Berkeley
Automatically considered.
Amount:  $2,500 a year.
Approximately 200 ultimately receive the Regents (culled from freshmen and transfers).
Notifications sent a few weeks after admittance.

Davis
Amount:  $7,500 a year.
UC Davis is the only UC where you must apply for a Regents (October 1-Jan 6).
Letter of Recommendation required.
Notification of winners sent mid-to-late April.

Irvine
Automatically considered.
Amount: $5,000 a year.
Notifications sent out mid-March, along with admittance to UCI. This year notification of winners was sent the first week of March.

UCLA
Automatically considered.
Amount:  $2,000 a year.
Approximately 100 ultimately receive the Regents (culled from freshmen and transfers).
Getting an invite does not guarantee admission, although about 90% do get acceptance notifications.
Notification of winners sent out usually after the first week in May.

Merced
Automatically considered.
Amount:  $7,000 a year.
Notifications sent with acceptance notices (or possibly earlier).

Riverside
Automatically considered.
Amount:  $5,000 a year.

San Diego
Automatically considered.
Amount:  $2,000-8,000 a year.
Notifications sent with acceptance notices.

Santa Barbara
Does not offer Regents to transfers.

Santa Cruz
Automatically considered.
Amount:  $5,000 a year.
Notifications sent mid-May.

Most of the above was taken from my ebook, How to Transfer to a UC from a California Community College, available on Amazon (and iTunes).