The California Dream Act- What is it and how can I apply?
Hello! My name is Andrew and I am the new intern here at the Education Opportunity Program (EOP). I will be helping you guys out with this blog. For those of you that know little to nothing about the California Dream Act, this blog will give you some basic literature on what exactly it is and how you can apply.
The California Dream Act, was signed into law in 2011 by Governor Brown, and allows undocumented or nonresident students who have attended a California high school for three or more years and graduated/completed the requirements of California High School Proficiency Examination (CHSPE) to apply for and receive certain types of financial aid including Board of Governor’s Fee Waivers, Cal Grants, Chafee Grants for Foster Youth, Community College Scholarships and Grants, UC Grants, and CSU Grants. It also allows these students to pay in-state tuition at public colleges.
There are a couple steps to applying for the Dream Act:
1. Apply for admission to a college/university
2. Submit your Dream Application to the college/university
3. Fill out your FAFSA/Dream Application
4. Receive your award letter
The California Dream Act is a state law passed in 2011 that allows undocumented students who have attended a California high school for 3 years or more and graduated to apply for financial aid and scholarships. Even though the act was passed in 2011, it was not until January of 2013 that the Dream Act Application (DACA) opened up for students. This blog will give an overview of the act and how to apply.
The CA Dream Act provides undocumented students with two options to apply for financial aid and state funded scholarships:
Option 1: You can fill out the Dream Act Application provided by the California Student Aid Commission at https://dream.csac.ca.gov/ . The Dream Act Application opens on January 1st each year and you must submit it by March 2nd (or the last business day before this date).
Option 2: If you want to be considered for private scholarships, you will need to complete the FAFSA/California Dream Act Application along with all aid programs offered by your college and university (i.e. institutional grants, loans and work-study). The FAFSA opens up on October 1st and you must submit it by March 2nd (or the last business day before this date).
How do I know if I qualify?
The California Dream Act is currently accepting applications for the 2012-2013 academic year. It is a set of state laws that allows qualifying students to apply for and receive state-funded financial aid (AB 540, AB 130, AB 131).
The California Student Aid Commission is responsible for administering the California Dream Act. For more information and to apply, visit their website atwww.caldreamact.org.
To apply for the California Dream Act:
Complete the appropriate Cal Grant GPA Verification Form (GPA Verification Form) and submit it along with your official high school transcript and/or GED certificate to CSAC by March 2, 2013.
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Alternative Application for California College Students (alternative application) by March 2, 2013.
For information on how to complete these documents and other tips on applying under AB 540, please visit our California Dream Act page atwww.csac.ca.gov/dream_act.asp.
The California Dream Act allows undocumented and nonresident documented students to receive state financial aid. By filling out the CA Dream Act Application, you are eligible to receive state financial aid such as Cal Grants and Chafee Grants, among other forms of financial aid.
These funds can be used for tuition, books, supplies, and transportation. In addition, the CA dream act also allows AB540 students to apply for institutional grants and scholarships through their school.
How do I apply?
The CA Dream Act is a paper application that must be submitted by mail. You may download the application from the CA Dream website or pick up a hard copy in the Financial Aid Office at your school.
You must complete part 1 of the application and submit it to your school’s Financial Aid Office. The school will complete part 2 and submit it to the CA Student Aid Commission (CSAC). The CSAC will notify you of your eligibility for state aid after processing your application.
The California Dream Act, also known as AB 540, was passed into law in October 2011 by Governor Jerry Brown. This act allows for undocumented students who meet certain requirements to receive state-funded financial aid such as Cal Grants and Board of Governor’s Fee Waiver.
This bill actually consists of 2 different bills: AB130 and AB131. AB130 allows undocumented students to receive private scholarships funded by non-state sources (such as the colleges themselves or private donors) while AB131 allows undocumented students to receive state-funded financial aid, including Cal Grants and BOG Fee Waivers.
More than 200,000 students have benefited from the California Dream Act through getting privately funded scholarships. However, it is important to point out that not all of these 200,000 students have been able to receive state-funded financial aid due to the fact that they do not qualify for these funds (for example: there are a limited amount of Cal Grants available each year so if someone does not meet the GPA or income requirements then they won’t be able to receive the grant).
In order for a student to be eligible for state-funded financial aid through the California Dream Act, they must first complete the CA Dream Act Application which can be found on the California Student
I was very excited when I heard that Governor Brown signed AB130 and AB131 into law. These two bills, part of the California Dream Act, will allow certain undocumented students access to financial aid and scholarships at California public colleges and universities.
The California Dream Act, a set of bills introduced by Assembly member Gil Cedillo (AB 130, AB 131), allows undocumented students to receive financial aid and scholarships that are funded by non-state funds (private donors, foundations and other community organizations) at the University of California, California State University, and Community College systems.
The California Dream Act was passed by the California Legislature in 2011. The purpose of this law is to allow undocumented and non-resident students who meet certain requirements to apply for and receive state financial aid, including:
Cal Grants
Chafee Grant for Foster Youth
Community College Fee Waiver Program
Board of Governors (BOG) Fee Waiver
California College Promise Grant (formerly known as BOGFW)
Middle Class Scholarship Program
Public University Grant Programs (formerly known as EOP grants)
