The California Dream Act allows undocumented and nonresident documented students who meet certain criteria to receive state financial aid for college. The California Dream Act is comprised of two bills: Assembly Bill 130 and Assembly Bill 131.

Assembly Bill 130, which was signed into law on July 25, 2011, allows students who are exempt from paying nonresident tuition at California’s public colleges to apply for and receive privately-funded scholarships for public colleges.

Assembly Bill 131, which was also signed into law on July 25, 2011, allows students who qualify for an exemption from paying nonresident tuition at California’s public colleges or universities to apply for and receive state-administered financial aid such as institutional grants, community college fee waivers, Cal Grants and Chafee Grants. It also allows undocumented students to apply for and receive privately-funded scholarships administered by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) starting in 2013-14.

The California Dream Act (AB 130 and AB 131) allows undocumented students who meet certain criteria to receive state financial aid such as Cal Grants, Chafee Grants, Middle Class Scholarships and institutional grants and scholarships.

The California Community College Chancellor’s Office has several webpages with extensive information about the California Dream Act:

The CCCCO website has answers to frequently asked questions about the CA Dream Act.

If you have any additional questions about the California Dream Act, please contact your college’s Financial Aid office.

The California Dream Act allows undocumented and nonresident documented students who meet certain provisions of AB 540 to receive state financial aid and institutional financial aid. The California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) administers state financial aid and the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office administers institutional financial aid.

The California Dream Act Application (CADAA) is the application used to apply for the Cal Grant, Chafee Grant, Board of Governors Fee Waiver, Middle Class Scholarship, or institutional scholarships administered by a participating community college. The CADAA is available online at www.caldreamact.org.

California Dream Act: Assembly Bill 130 (AB 130) and Assembly Bill 131 (AB 131)

Signed into law by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. on July 25, 2011, the California Dream Act allows students who meet certain requirements regarding their parents’ immigration status to apply for and receive non-state funded scholarships for public colleges and universities. The act also makes eligible students without legal immigration status to apply for state-administered financial aid, university grants, community college fee waivers and Cal Grants.

Assembly Bill 131 was signed into law by Governor Brown on October 8, 2011. This measure increases access to student financial aid at the University of California, California State University and California Community Colleges through a more equitable distribution of state financial aid resources to qualified students who attend public colleges and universities in California.

Both measures were authored by Assemblymember Gil Cedillo, District 45 – Los Angeles.

The California Dream Act of 2011 allows certain undocumented and nonresident students who meet AB 540 criteria to receive state-funded financial aid such as Board of Governors Fee Waiver, Cal Grants, University Grants, and Chafee Grants. The California Dream Act does not provide funding for the Dream Loan Program or institutional financial aid such as scholarships.

The California Assembly Bill 540 (AB 540) was enacted in 2001 and allows students who have attended a high school in California for 3 or more years and who have graduated from a California high school (or attained the equivalent such as a GED) to be exempt from paying nonresident tuition at all public colleges in California. The California Assembly Bill 130 (AB 130) was enacted in 2011 and allows students eligible under AB 540 to apply for and receive private scholarships funded through public colleges. The California Assembly Bill 131 (AB 131) was enacted in 2011 and allows students eligible under AB 540 to receive state-funded financial aid.

AB 130

AB 130 allows students who have attended California high schools for at least three years and graduated or passed the GED to receive public grants, community college fee waivers, and university fee waivers for college.

The deadline to apply for AB 130 was January 1, 2013.

AB 131

AB 131 provides undocumented students with access to all forms of financial aid (including Cal Grants and institutional aid).

For more information about AB 131, please visit the UC Office of the President’s website.

A. AB 540 is a state law that allows certain students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents to pay in-state tuition at California public colleges and universities if they meet certain requirements. It was passed by the California Legislature in 2001.

AB 130 is a new law that allows students eligible for AB 540 to apply for and receive private scholarships funded through public universities (but not state-funded scholarships).

AB 131 is a new law that extends eligibility for state financial aid such as Cal Grants to AB 540 students.