Financial Aid and Scholarship

The Dream Success Center has created strong partnerships with the Office of Financial Aid and Enrollment Services to ensure AB 540 and undocumented students know their financial aid and residency for tuition options. In this section, you will find a wide range of financial opportunities that may assist undergraduate and graduate students in financing their education.

Frequently Asked Questions

We have created this section to help answer any questions you may have about your financial aid options.

The California Dream Act allows undocumented students, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients (valid or expired), U Visa holders, and students under Temporary Protected Status (TPS), who qualify for a non-resident exemption under Assembly Bill 540 (AB 540), Senate Bill 2000 (SB 2000) and Senate Bill 68 (SB 68), to receive certain types of financial aid such as: private scholarships funded through public universities, state-administered financial aid, university grants, community college fee waivers, and Cal Grants.

You are eligible to complete the FAFSA if you are a:

  • U.S Citizen
  • Permanent Resident
  • Eligible non-citizen
  • T Visa holder

You are eligible to complete the CADAA if you are:

  • Undocumented
  • Have a valid or expired DACA
  • U Visa holders
  • Have Temporary Protected Status (TPS)

The California Nonresident Tuition Exemption, known as AB 540, exempts some students from paying nonresident tuition (which is greater than resident tuition) and/or permits them to apply for and receive state aid at certain public and private institutions in California.

The CSU Nonresident Tuition Exemption is open to CSU students enrolled as undergraduate or graduate students who are:

  • S. Citizens
  • Permanent Residents
  • Undocumented Students (including TPS, DACA, asylum, Special Immigrant Juvenile, and VAWA)
  • T and U Visa Holders Only

California Education Code Section 68130.5 states that a student shall be exempt from paying nonresident tuition at the California State University and California Community Colleges if the student meets the following requirements:

A total attendance of – or attainment of credits earned while in California equivalent to – three or more years of full-time attendance or attainment of credits at any of the following:

  • California high schools.
  • California high schools established by the State Board of Education.
  • California adult schools established by any of the following entities:
  • A county office of education.
  • A unified school district or high school district.
  • The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
  • Campuses of the California Community Colleges*
  • (v) A combination of those schools set forth in (i) to (iv), inclusive.

*Effective January 1, 2023, a year's equivalence at a California community college is either a minimum of 24-semester units of credit or 54 quarter units.  Full-time attendance at a California adult school is a minimum of 420 hours of attendance for each school year.

Students must satisfy the graduation/transfer requirement by fulfilling any of the following:

  • The student must have graduated from a California high school or attained the equivalent from a California high school prior to the start of the term (for example, passing the GED or California High School Proficiency exam) or
  • Completed or will complete (before the first term of enrollment at the CSU) an associate's degree from a California community college; or
  • Completed or will complete (before the first term of enrollment at the CSU) the minimum requirements at a California community college for transfer to the California State University. The student must file an affidavit with the college or university stating they have filed an application to legalize their immigration status or will file an application as soon as they are eligible.

 

To request this exemption, please submit the California Nonresident Tuition Exemption form to our Residence Specialist. The form can be submitted via email (es-residency@csulb.edu), or in-person to Enrollment Services in Brotman Hall 101, or via mail to the following address: CSULB Enrollment Services, ATTN: Residence Specialist, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90840.  NOTE: Students who qualify for this exemption may also be eligible to apply for and receive funds from certain state and institutional financial assistance programs through the California Dream Act.