Undocumented students who meet the AB540 criteria can be considered for state aid programs by the California Dream Act.
Citizenship
Navigate to our Citizenship page to find what documents we accept.
AB540
You are an AB540 student if you meet the following criteria:
- Attended a California high school for at least three years
- Graduated from a California high school or passed the California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE) or have a GED
- Enrolling in an accredited California institution of higher education
- In the case of students without legal immigration status, you must complete the AB540 Affidavit - DREAM Act stating that you have filed or will file an application to legalize your immigration status as soon as you are eligible to do so
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) does not make you eligible for federal aid, however, if you meet the AB540 criteria you can be considered for state aid programs.
Other Financial Resources
The following organizations provide scholarship assistance for undocumented students:
- TheDream.US
- Scholarship America
- Hispanic Scholarship Fund
- MALDEF
- United States Hispanic Leadership Institute
- My Undocumented Life
- Immigrants Rising
California Dream Act Application
To apply you will need to complete the California Dream Application. The Dream Application will collect basic personal and income information to determine student eligibility for funding under AB131.
NOTE: The Board of Governors Fee Waivers, Middle Class Scholarship, EOPS, CARE and CalWORKs are only offered at California public colleges and universities. These programs are not available at Santa Clara University.