AB540 CA Dream Act

• Students who have a Social Security card with words "Valid For Work Only With DHS Authorization" or "Not Valid For Employment" should complete the Dream Act Application.
• Students who received their Social Security Number through Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA); please complete a CA Dream Application.
• The Dream Act Application is not an application for federal financial aid. Students who have a permanent Social Security Number must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This will assure that the applicant is considered for both federal and state assistance. The FAFSA application is located on-line at fafsa.gov.
• Students should file either the FAFSA or the Dream Act Application, not both.

California colleges believe that students who attended and graduated from high school in California, but are not legal residents, should have access to higher education. These students are highly motivated to succeed despite the obstacles they face.

Through their hard work and perseverance, they have met the academic standards required to attend college. Their accomplishments should not be disregarded or their future jeopardized because of their immigration status.

By allowing AB 540 students to apply for and receive financial aid from California colleges, these bills help place these students on a more equal footing with other needy students and would enhance their access to college.

Colleges estimate that about 800 undergraduates who will qualify Cal Grant entitlement awards worth about $7 million. Among these students who are newly-eligible for Cal Grants, colleges estimates that about 300 are undocumented and 500 are documented.

Colleges estimate that about 440 undocumented undergraduates will qualify for roughly $4.3 million in college grants and scholarships. These are rough estimates only, however, because colleges do not currently collect information about the income or other financial resources of undocumented students.

Cal Grants received by undocumented students will not reduce the number or amount of Cal Grant awards available for other students. For California college grants and scholarships, the impact on other students will be negligible because undocumented students represent a tiny fraction of the student body. (Colleges estimate that fewer than one-half of one percent of its students are undocumented.)

Colleges' financial aid programs are primarily funded from tuition revenue. Colleges set aside about 30 percent of undergraduate tuition revenue for financial aid. Undocumented students pay into this pool but have been prevented from receiving any assistance from it. Under AB 131, eligible undocumented students with financial need can apply for aid.

California colleges will work with the California Student Aid Commission and other segments to develop the forms and processes used to determine whether eligible undocumented students qualify for Cal Grants and institutional aid.

No. AB 131 affects only students who are exempt from paying nonresident tuition under AB 540. To qualify, students must have attended a California high school for at least three years and graduated from a California high school. In addition, undocumented students must attest that they have filed an application to legalize their immigration status, or will file an application as soon as they are eligible to do so.