California Dream Act and AB 540

Get Financial Aid With the California Dream Act (CADA)

The California Dream Act Application (CADAA) is an application to receive financial aid, similar to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students should only complete one of these financial aid applications – not both. The CADAA is the correct application for you if you:

• Are undocumented
• Have a valid or expired DACA status
• Are a U visa holder
• Have Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
• Meet the non-resident exemption requirements under AB 540, AB 2000, or SB 68

If none of these describe you, then you may be eligible to submit the FAFSA.

What financial aid is available for undocumented students?

Undocumented students qualify for the following types of financial aid:

• State grants, including the California College Promise Grant (formerly BOG Fee Waiver), Cal Grants, Chafee Grants, and Student Success Completion Grant
• Assistance from EOPS, CARE, or CalWORKs
• American River College scholarships
• Los Rios Promise Program
• External scholarships (see scholarships on ImmigrantsRising.org)

What are the non-resident exemption requirements under AB 540?

Students must meet the following requirements:

1. Time and Coursework Requirements (either A or B):
   1. 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
   2. Three years of California high school credits, along with three years of total attendance at a California elementary school, California secondary school, or any combination of the two [†]
   • Graduation from a California high school or the equivalent (GED, HiSET, TASC, CHSPE)
   • Attainment of an Associate degree from a California Community College
   • Fulfillment of the minimum transfer requirements from a California Community College to a UC or CSU campus
   1. Log in to your eServices account.
   2. Click Student eForms and Petitions.
   3. Select Residency to bring up your form options.
   4. Click Start an AB-540 eForm to begin.

   Exemption Requirements Footnotes

   • # A year's equivalence at a California community college is either a minimum of 24 semester units or 36 quarter units of credit. For non-credit courses, a year's attendance is a minimum of 420 class hours per year (a semester is equivalent to a minimum of 210 hours and a quarter is equivalent to a minimum of 140 hours). Full-time attendance at a California adult school is a minimum of 420 hours of attendance for each school year.
   • † This provision addresses both coursework and an attendance requirement, which can both be satisfied in three or more years.

   How can I get in-state tuition and financial aid?

   Step 1: Submit the Nonresident Tuition Exemption Request

   If you meet the AB 540 requirements, then submit the AB-540 eForm in eServices.

   1. Log in to your eServices account.
   2. Click Student eForms and Petitions.
   3. Select Residency to bring up your form options.
   4. Click Start an AB-540 eForm to begin.

   Step 2: Submit the California Dream Act Application

   You only need to submit a single California Dream Act Application (CADAA) each academic year to be considered for financial aid programs that require the CADAA.

   CADAA Priority Filing Deadline

   Confidentiality

   Information provided on the CADAA is not provided to the federal government nor is it checked against any federal databases. CADA information is protected by privacy and information security laws. CADA students will be required to submit parental income and asset information. The demographic information students provide on the CADAA typically overlaps with information students have already given to their high schools.

   About the Laws

   AB 540, AB 2000, and SB 68

   Assembly Bill (AB) 540 is a California law passed in 2001 that states that undocumented students who meet certain requirements can be exempted from nonresident tuition at California public colleges and universities. This includes California community colleges, California State University, and the University of California.

   In 2014, AB 2000 was passed and expanded the definition to allow additional flexibility for those who can meet the requirements. In 2018, Senate Bill (SB) 68 went into effect, further expanding the criteria.

   These laws are important because the exemption allows eligible undocumented students to pay the in-state tuition rate instead of the non-resident student tuition rate at California community colleges (see current tuition and fees).

   California Dream Act

   The California Dream Act allows undocumented and nonresident students (US citizens and eligible non-citizens) who qualify for a non-resident exemption under Assembly Bill 540 (AB 540) to receive certain types of financial aid such as: private scholarships, state administered financial aid, California College Promise Grant, and Cal Grants.

   The California Dream Act is unrelated to the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.