California Dream Act and AB 540

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
• Dream Act Service Incentive Grant Program
• Assistance from EOPS, CARE, or CalWORKs
• American River College scholarships
• Los Rios Promise Program
• External scholarships (see scholarships on ImmigrantsRising.org)

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.

With the implementation of AB 1540, we’ve streamlined the financial aid process for CA Dream Act students by facilitating the integration of the nonresident tuition exemption form (“AB 540”) affidavit into the CA Dream Act Application. This will allow students submitting an application to also complete their affidavit.

Full List of Financial Aid Deadlines

Federal School Code

Include this on your CADAA to ensure your financial aid is processed for your home college.

• American River College: 001232
• Cosumnes River College: 007536
• Folsom Lake College: 038713
• Sacramento City College: 001233

For more information, visit the Financial Aid Office or the UndocuScholar/Undocu-Resource/Dream Center.

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 (including non-credit courses offered by a 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 ^[†]
2. Degree or Unit Requirements (completion of any of the following):
   • 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
3. Register or Enroll in an Accredited and Qualifying California College or University. This requires registration as a student at an accredited institution of higher education in California. See a list of Cal Grant-eligible schools.
4. Submit an AB-540 eForm in eServices. This form states that you meet all the requirements to qualify for a non-resident exemption under AB 540 and, if you are undocumented, that you are in the process of legalizing your immigration status (or will do so as soon as you are eligible to do so). This form is confidential and will not be shared with other agencies.
   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.

Students from mixed-status families are eligible to file the FAFSA to be considered for federal, state, and institutional aid. It is important to weigh both the risks and benefits of submitting the FAFSA. While the Higher Education Act prohibits FAFSA information from being used for immigration enforcement, we recognize that privacy concerns may remain. Every family’s situation is unique, and we encourage you to make a personal risk assessment before deciding which application to file.

If your family feels vulnerable or hesitant to share sensitive information, there are alternative paths to financial aid. For more information, connect with your college’s Undocumented Student Center or visit CSAC Mixed-Status Family Resource.

Students from mixed-status families who submit the CADAA will still be considered for all available state aid.

On November 20, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit challenging California’s in-state tuition policy for undocumented students (AB 540) and their access to state financial aid through the California Dream Act Application (CADAA). While the lawsuit names state and higher education leaders, AB 540 and CADAA remain fully open and available. 

This legal action does not currently affect students’ ability to receive in-state tuition or apply for state aid, and students should continue submitting AB 540 affidavits and completing the CADAA as usual. The California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) affirms that AB 540 complies with federal law and stands on strong legal precedent. Courts have consistently upheld similar tuition policies. 

Both CSAC and the Los Rios Community College District pledged to defend AB 540 and will keep campuses informed of any updates.

Source: AB 540 and Compliance With the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA)

Information provided on the CADAA is not provided to the federal government nor is it checked against any federal databases. CADAA information is protected by privacy and information security laws. CADAA 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.

Source: Protection of Student Information for CADAA Applicants

No, applying for or receiving state aid does not impact how you can change your immigration status. “Public charge” is a test that determines if an immigrant is likely to use public cash assistance or long-term institutional medical care. Financial aid is not considered a public charge. If students have questions about their immigration status or public charge, they can schedule a free immigration consultation by visiting findyourally.com. 

Source: Financial Aid for Undocumented Students in California

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit on November 20, 2025, challenging California's AB 540 in-state tuition policy and the California Dream Act Application (CADAA). However, the lawsuit does not currently affect students’ ability to receive in-state tuition or apply for state aid, and students should continue submitting AB 540 affidavits and completing the CADAA as usual. The California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) affirms that AB 540 complies with federal law and stands on strong legal precedent. Courts have consistently upheld similar tuition policies.

Sources:

• Ed Source, Justice Department Sues California Over College Aid to Undocumented Students
• Department of Justice

In its May 5, 2025 Executive Office Memo, CSAC explains that there are strong legal foundations supporting AB 540 and similar tuition policies.

• AB 540 is not based on residency. It is open to all students (undocumented and U.S. citizen students included) who meet specific criteria.
• The California Supreme Court, in Martinez v. Regents of the University of California, upheld AB 540, ruling that it does not violate federal law.
• In 2023, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Texas’ comparable tuition statute in Young Conservatives of Texas v. Smatresk, finding that setting tuition rates does not constitute granting an improper immigration-related benefit.

Both CSAC and the Los Rios Community College District pledged to defend AB 540 and will keep campuses informed of any updates.

Sources: 

• CSAC, AB 540 and Compliance With the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA)
• LRCCD,  Los Rios Compact in Support of Undocumented and DACA Students and Employees

Assembly Bill 540 (AB 540) is a California law passed in 2001 that can determine if undocumented students who meet certain requirements can be exempted from nonresident tuition at California public colleges and universities. This includes California Community Colleges (CCC), California State Universities (CSU), and the Universities of California (UC).

In 2014, Assembly Bill 2000 (AB 2000) was passed and expanded the definition to allow additional flexibility for those who can meet the requirements. In 2018, Senate Bill 68 (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 College (see current tuition and fees).

The California Dream Act allows undocumented students 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
• Cal Grants

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

The California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting student data. Information provided on the CADAA will not be shared with federal immigration authorities. For more details, see their memorandum.