Giving Opportunities 2021

For many students, gaining admission to UC Berkeley is only half the battle — once they are on campus, they face other challenges. It is critical to have in place resources necessary to help students succeed — especially low-income, first-generation students of color. The Centers for Educational Equity and Excellence (CE3) respects every undergraduate as a unique individual, and works to ensure equity of experience so that all UC Berkeley students can thrive. 

WHO WE ARE

Comprising multiple distinct programs, CE3 offers a comprehensive array of counseling support, supplemental aid, and scholarships to support former foster youth, veterans, student parents, undocumented students, and transfer students of all ages and life experiences. We aim to ensure that the most vulnerable students achieve their potential at the number one public university.

We connect students in need with critical resources — from holistic academic guidance, scholarships, mentoring, and career preparation to nutrition and child care support. 

WHAT WE DO

Our efforts are grouped in three broad categories: opportunity, independent student, and transfer student programs. Access and opportunity programs (Educational Opportunity Program and Undocumented Students Program) focus on providing counseling and scholarships for first-generation and undocumented students. Independent student programs (Berkeley Hope Scholars, Cal Veteran Services Center, Re-entry Student Program, Student Parent Center) are aimed at students with life experiences often considered non-traditional, such as veterans, student parents, and formerly incarcerated or foster youth. Transfer student programs (Miller Scholars, Student Support Services, Transfer Student Center, Transfer Transition Program) help ease the transition to Berkeley from community colleges or other institutions, with a particular focus on students from under-resourced backgrounds. 

The students we serve come from diverse backgrounds and the programs we offer reflect the complexity of their experience. Regarding students as people first, CE3 empowers them to see their unique backgrounds as strengths. However, there are common threads among all the groups we serve — most are low-income, and many are the first in their families to go to college. CE3 programs seek to ensure that these students make the most of their time on campus, not only by facilitating scholarships and supplemental aid to help meet basic needs, but by helping students navigate the wealth of possibilities available to them. 

WHY WE NEED YOU

More than a quarter of Berkeley undergraduates are the first in their families to attend college. CE3 has a vital role to play in serving first-generation students, who are recognized as a top priority across the UC system. CE3 seeks your support to offset the particular challenges faced by these students, specifically those who have transferred to Berkeley from another institution, are low-income, or are raising children. When you give to support CE3’s Transfer Student Center, Transfer Transition Program, Berkeley Underground Scholars, or Student Parent Center, you provide critical resources for students who have beat the odds in order to attend Berkeley. There are many ways to support these programs at CE3. Here are a few:

$5,000 - CE3 Scholarship

Provide one CE3 low-income student substantial scholarship support. 

$7,500 - Work–Study CE3 Student 

Provide resources so a CE3 program can hire a current low-income student for one academic year.

$15,000 - Summer Program for Transfer Students 

Provide resources for additional sections of the Transfer Transition Program’s courses, which help transfer students meet academic requirements and make the most of their time at Berkeley.

$30,000 - CE3 Student Admissions Outreach and Yield

Make it possible for CE3 staff to coordinate new events or travel through-out the state to ensure new Berkeley admits are aware of CE3 programs and services. CE3’s presence in yield activities contributes to more first gen, low-income, and UREM undergraduates choosing Berkeley. 

$100,000 - Become a Sustaining Supporter of CE3

A gift at this level sustains the critical outreach and retention work of a program of your choice by adding full time staffing.