Undocumented Student Center

The California Dream Act is a series of two bills, AB130 and AB131, that allow AB540/SB 68/AB2000 eligible undocumented students in California to apply for in-state financial aid. AB130 allows AB540/SB68/AB2000 students to apply for scholarships at California public colleges and universities that are funded from non-state sources, and AB 131 allows for AB540/SB68/AB2000 students to apply for in-state financial aid for public universities and colleges.

In order to apply for financial aid through the California Dream Act, you must qualify as an AB540/SB68/AB2000 student by meeting the requirements listed in the Quick Guide to SB68: Expansion of In-State Tuition Eligibility in California.

Items to Note

• Ineligible students can still attend California colleges as long as they meet the admissions criteria and are accepted by the college or university. They also must pay non-resident fees.
• The California Dream Act Application is unrelated to the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Learn more here: Understand the Differences: In-State Tuition vs. CA Dream Act vs. DACA

If you are an undocumented student and you meet AB 540/ SB 68 eligibility, you can apply for state financial aid.

Apply for CA Dream Act

How to apply for the CA Dream Act (video)

Undocu Talk: 2021-2022 California Dream Act Application Workshop (video)

• The application opens October 1 and the free California Dream Act Application (CADAA) must be submitted by March 2 to qualify for California aid.
• There is an additional deadline of September 2 for students completing the CA Dream Act that are attending a community college.

Items to Note

You can still apply after March 2, but you’ll lose Cal Grant eligibility and Universities of California (UCs) and California State Universities (CSUs) require that you submit the application by March 2 in order to receive state financial aid during the academic year that you plan to attend at that university.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. Any information provided by the student to Sierra College is protected under FERPA.

Students assigned male at birth between the ages of 18 and 25, must register for the Selective Service as a requirement to apply for CADAA. View/download Selective Service and the California Dream Act to learn where and how to complete the Selective Service Registration Form.

Financial Aid Specialists can assist you with applying to Selective Service.

The California Non-Resident Tuition Petition is also known as the “Affidavit”.

In order to apply for financial aid through the California Dream Act, you must qualify as an AB540/SB68/AB2000 student.

To qualify for AB540/SB68/AB2000, you must meet the requirements listed in the Quick Guide to SB68: Expansion of In-State Tuition Eligibility in California.

The California Non-Resident Tuition Petition is also known as the “Affidavit”.

Submit the Affidavit for CA Community Colleges Petition with a copy of your official high school transcript to the Admissions and Records Office at Sierra College.

• Once you are ready to transfer to a private school, CSU or UC, you will need to submit a new Affidavit to that University. Download the CSU or UC affidavits here.
• If you do not attend Sierra College for one semester or more, you will need to resubmit your Affidavit to Sierra College Admissions and Records office.

If you are considered a non-resident for tuition purposes (if you don’t qualify for AB540/SB68/AB2000), you can still attend California colleges as long as you meet the admissions criteria and are accepted by the college or university. However, you will pay approximately three times more than a resident student as an international student.

Every students’ pathway to eligibility is unique, and we are here to help you figure that out.

Some students attend Adult School and take Noncredit Education courses offered at Sierra College, which are free of cost, to attain AB540/SB68/AB2000 eligibility.

For more information, check out these resources: Immigrants Rising In-State Tuition Overview, CA In-State Tuition Tool and contact the Undocumented Student Center at undocu@sierracollege.edu to learn about your options.

If you have questions about your eligibility, check out this chart by Immigrants Rising that compares AB 540, AB 2000, the California Dream Act and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

Please be aware that DACA does not give students eligibility for the FAFSA or any federal financial aid.