4. CA Dream Act for undocumented students

Introduction

Who is considered undocumented? ▾

These are the general criteria that defines individuals who are undocumented:

Crossed border without inspection
Came with a visa and overstayed it (let the visa expire)
In the process of “legalizing” -- applied for asylum, green card, etc. BUT HAS NOT BEEN GRANTED YET
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) -- grants temporary protected status; as of April 2020, you can renew your DACA if you already have it but you cannot apply for the first time.

Can I go to college as an undocumented student? ▾

Yes! California and most other states (with the exception of South Carolina and Alabama) allow undocumented students to pursue a college education. California is one of the best places to study as an undocumented student because of the resources that are available to students without legal status.

Can I receive financial aid? ▾

Yes! Depending on your family's income, it is possible for undocumented students in CA to receive almost full financial aid to cover tuition and additional expenses.

There are two key parts to receiving financial aid as an undocumented student in CA:

You are AB 540 eligible (allowing you to qualify for in-state tuition)
You apply for the California DREAM Act

AB-540

What is AB-540? ▾

AB-540 is a CA state law that allows undocumented students who have gained their education in CA to receive in-state tuition at UCs, CSUs and CA Community Colleges. This is important because nonresident students are charged a higher tuition to attend public colleges in CA, and undocumented students are technically considered nonresidents.

To be AB 540 eligible, you must meet all three of the following requirements:

Time and coursework requirements

Either

Attendance for three full-time years or the equivalent at any combination of the following:
- California high school
- California adult school (including non-credit courses offered by a California community college)
- California community college (maximum of two years of credit bearing courses can count toward this requirement) or
- Three years of California high school coursework and three years of total attendance at a California elementary school, California secondary school, or any combination of the two.

Degree or unit requirements

Meet one of the following requirements:

Graduation from a California high school (or attainment of the equivalent)
Attainment of an associate’s degree from a California community college
Fulfillment of minimum transfer requirements from a California community college to a UC or CSU campus

Find out if you are AB-540 eligible

Use this free tool from Immigrants Rising to see if you qualify for in-state tuition: California In-State Tuition Tool

California Dream Act

More detailed information can be found below:

What is the California Dream Act? ▾

You can apply for financial aid by filling out the California DREAM Act Application, which is an application specifically for undocumented students seeking to attend a university, community college, or technical/career/trade school in California only. It is due on March 2nd each year, and you must apply for every year you are in college.
You can apply for the CA DREAM Act here: https://dream.csac.ca.gov/

To qualify for the CA DREAM Act, you must meet the same general requirements as the ones for AB 540, stated above.
If you qualify for the CA DREAM Act, DO NOT APPLY FOR FAFSA.

By filling out the CA DREAM Act, you might qualify for:

Cal Grant: These grants are for students who are pursuing an associate's degree, bachelor's degree, or going to trade school. This is free money that doesn’t have to be repaid. Whether you receive Cal Grants, and the amount you receive, will depend on your family’s income, how many people live on that income, and your GPA (must be above a 2.0).
- Cal Grants can cover all of tuition and even provide some additional money to cover living expenses (books, housing, etc.). You might receive up to $12,192, depending on your financial need and which college you're attending.
- You can receive Cal Grants at all UC, CSU, community colleges, most Private, and some Vocational schools.
- If you are a current high school senior or recent high school graduate, click here to get an overview of what Cal Grants are.
- This page shows you the maximum income and assets your family can have for you to receive Cal Grants.
Chafee Grant: Free money for students in the foster care system.
Middle Class Scholarship: Free money provided by UC and CSU campuses for students who families’ income qualifies them as middle class.
UC Grants, State University Grants & Scholarships: The university you are attending might also offer you additional grants/scholarships to cover additional costs.
California Community College (CCC) California Promise Grant: This program makes community college free for two years for first-time students who intend to attend full-time.
Loans: If you are attending a CSU or UC, you might be offered loans (maximum of $4000 annually) to cover any leftover expenses after grants and scholarships.

California students attending UC campuses: If your family's income is under $80,000 and you qualify for financial aid, you won't pay systemwide tuition or fees. Learn more about UC financial aid here.

You don’t have to know which programs you are eligible for. All you have to do is submit the CA DREAM Act by March 2nd of each year and the university/community college you are attending will let you know what, and how much money, you are awarded.

Applying for the CA Dream Act

More detailed information can be found below:

What does a CA DREAM Act application look like? ▾

Check out this PDF to see what an actual CDA application looks like (starts on page 3). We highly recommend looking over the entire PDF before starting your online application to get a better understanding of all the information you will need to fill it out completely.

What do I need to fill it out? ▾

Here is what you need to fill out the CDA:

If your parents or guardians filed taxes last year, you will need their taxes to answer many of the questions.
If your parents or guardians did not file taxes last year, you will need to know how much they earned from working.
You will need to know your parents or guardians’ total current balance of cash, savings and checking accounts (if any).
You will need to know whether anyone in your family qualifies for any government assistance programs, such as Medicaid (known as Medi-Cal in CA), food stamps (known as CalFresh or SNAP in CA), etc.
- NOTE: If you go to a public high school where you do not have to pay for lunch, you qualify for FREE and REDUCED LUNCH PROGRAM. Make sure to check question (81) on the application.

Where can I get help filling it out? ▾

Need more help filling out the CDA? Check out these helpful resources:

Here's a series of videos that take you through the whole application (CSU Fullerton)
California Dream Act application tips
Attend a Cash for College workshop: Starting October 1 through June 30, students and families can attend FREE Cash for College workshops across California for help completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act (CADAA) and Chafee Grant for Foster Youth applications.
- Go to this website and enter your email to receive a list of all the locations where the workshops are being hosted.

College-specific resources for undocumented students ▾

Most colleges in CA, especially those in the CSU, UC and Community College system, have a dedicated webpage for undocumented students, where they share helpful information, scholarships specifically for undocumented students, and what that college/university offers to these students. We recommend that you check out the website for the colleges you are interested in attending. If you have more questions, give them a call!

Click here for undocumented resource centers at CSU campuses.
Click here for undocumented resource centers at UC campuses.
To find the undocumented student resource center at a specific community college, Google search "[Name of community college] undocumented students."
- Example: Los Angeles Valley College undocumented students
To find the undocumented student resource center at a specific private university, Google search "[Name of university] undocumented students."
- Example: USC undocumented students

Applying for scholarships ▾

Beyond the financial aid you will receive through the California DREAM Act, you can also apply for outside scholarships to cover remaining any expenses. See the next section (section 6) on scholarships for more information.

More articles under Financial Aid & Scholarships

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