About CE3

CE3 staff gathered together in an annual retreat

Ensuring non-traditional students excel at Berkeley

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 — particularly historically marginalized students. The Centers for Educational Equity and Excellence (CE3) respects every member of our community 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 programs, 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 in the world.

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: access and 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, Re-entry Student Program, Student Parent Center, Cal Veteran Services 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.