Undocumented Resource Office

Assembly Bill 540 was signed into law in October 2001 and allows eligible undocumented, legal permanent resident and U.S. citizen students to pay in-state tuition at public colleges and universities. AB 540 Affidavits are required and approved through the Admissions and Records Office to update a student’s residency status.

To qualify, a student must meet the following requirements:

• >High school attendance in California for three or more years
• or elementary or secondary school attendance,
• or both in California for a total of 3 or more years and
• attainment of credits earned in California from a California high school equivalent to 3 or more years of full-time high school coursework and a total of three or more years of attendance in California elementary schools, California secondary schools, or a combination of these schools.
• Must register or is currently enrolled at an accredited institution of public higher education in California;
• Must file or will file an affidavit as required by individual institutions, stating that the filer will apply for legal residency as soon as possible;
• Must not hold a valid non-immigrant visa (F, J, H, L, A, E, etc.)

Assembly Bill 130 (AB 130) of 2011, allows students who meet AB 540 criteria to apply for and receive non-state funded scholarships for public colleges and universities. Assembly Bill 131 (AB 131) of 2011, allows students who meet AB 540 criteria to apply for and receive state-funded financial aid such as institutional grants, community college fee waivers, Cal Grant and Chafee Grant.

DACA is an administrative relief that protects eligible immigrants who came to the United States when they were children from deportation. DACA gives undocumented immigrants: 1) protection from deportation, and 2) a work permit. The program requires that the DACA status and work permit be renewed every two years.

As a response to AB 130/131, the California Dream Act application was created to allow eligible AB 540 students qualify for California state grants (Cal Grant) and other financial aid benefits within California. Available each year, the California Dream Act grants access to the CCPG fee waiver, CSM Promise, and EOPS. We strongly encourage students to complete their CA Dream Application by the March 2nd priority deadline of each academic year. Additionally, undocumented students who are ineligible to apply to the CA Dream Act can still look into scholarship opportunities through our campus. For information on the CSM Scholarship and outside scholarships, please visit the CSM Scholarships website.