Against the Odds
Eric Esparza is an Achievement Award Program (TAAP) Scholar in UC Berkeley’s Class of 2022. Below are his reflections on his journey to UC Berkeley.
Support The Achievement Award Program
Established in 1999, The Achievement Award Program (TAAP) provides students from low-income and first-generation backgrounds access to higher education and resources for their personal, academic, and professional growth.
About The Achievement Award Program
TAAP eligibility criteria includes California residency and a 3.0 GPA, but the determining factors for selection as a TAAP Scholar emphasize community service, volunteerism, ambition, and leadership abilities.
CAA distributes more than $500,000 annually to TAAP Scholars, who receive a scholarship award up to $10,500 and a suite of CAA support services. CAA also ensures that TAAP scholars continue their service and volunteer activities by requiring they each complete ten hours of community service per semester. TAAP Scholars are role models for the importance of going to college and giving back to the community.
Approximately 100 new and continuing students receive the scholarship each year. Many TAAP students come from low-income communities with an average annual family income of $22,998.
Of the more than 260 Cal students who received TAAP funding in the past 10 years, 71 percent are first-generation college students and 59 percent are underrepresented minorities.
Who TAAP Serves
More than 500
TAAP Scholars awarded since 1999
| 100% from low-income backgrounds |
70% are first-year students |
80% from underrepresented* backgrounds |
| 87% are first-generation college students |
30% are transfer students |
10% are undocumented |
* CAA has identified Black/African/African American, Chicanx/Latinx, Native American/Alaska Native, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander as underrepresented groups on campus.
Financial Support
TAAP provides vital financial support to scholars.
• $10,500 annual scholarship
Emergency Support
During the pandemic, TAAP rose to meet scholars’ needs.
• 40 emergency grants awarded
• $38,272 total in emergency grant support
Program Support
Purposeful programming helps students achieve success at and beyond UC Berkeley.
• One-on-one advising
• Workshops and events
• Mentorship and networking opportunities with Cal alumni
Stories of Achievement
When You Drink Water, Remember the Source
One student pays it forward in his continued fight for social justice.
Setting a Road Map to Success
Attending college can be a challenge for formerly incarcerated students. No one knows better than TAAP scholars John Lam ’23 and Michelle Maxwell ’23.
History of The Achievement Award Program
In the spring of 1998, a task force was charged with putting together what would become The Achievement Award Program (TAAP). The general parameters of the endeavor were clear: establish a scholarship program for high-achieving students from low-income communities in California.
In 1999, The Achievement Award Program welcomed its first cohort of Alumni Scholars.
Alumni: Become a TAAP Volunteer
Alumni volunteers provide important connections for prospective students. By serving during the application and interview process, you provide a friendly face and vital perspective for TAAP applicants.
Your Support Matters
Areas of Support
Why Give to the Alumni Scholars Program?
Your gift to CAA keeps Cal golden and the future of current Berkeley students bright.
Questions? Contact the Alumni Scholars Program team.
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