The priority deadline is March 2nd every year.
The California Dream Act allows undocumented and nonresident documented students who meet certain criteria
to apply for and receive state-administered financial aid, university grants, community college fee waivers, Cal
Grants, and private scholarships administered by their respective university.
Q: What is AB 540, and how do I obtain AB 540 status?
A: Students who qualify for AB 540 may include undocumented students, students who are US citizens but who
are not CA residents, and dependent students whose parents are not CA residents. AB 540 students are those
who:
Have attended a CA high school for at least three years or graduated early from a CA high school
with the equivalent of three or more years of credit*, AND
Graduated from a CA high school, or passed the California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE), or obtained
a Certificate of General Education Development (GED), AND
Enrolled in an accredited and qualifying CA college or university
If this is applicable, the student must complete an AB 540 Affidavit declaring that they will legalize their
immigration status as soon as they are eligible and submit it to the university or college they will be attending.
*If you graduated early from high school under this provision, you must also have attended CA schools
(elementary and secondary) for a cumulative total of three or more years (AB 2000).
Q: How do I apply for financial aid under the California Dream Act?
A: The CA Dream Act Application is used by undocumented students who meet the eligibility requirements of AB
540. The application can be found at www.caldreamact.org. The California Student Aid Commission processes the
application and any aid received can only be used at eligible California public or private institutions. The
application deadline is March 2 prior to the academic year the student will attend.
Q: Can I fill out the CA Dream Act Application if I don’t have a Social Security number?
A: Yes, students who meet the AB 540 eligibility requirements are not required to have a Social Security number in
order to submit the application. If an applicant has a Social Security number issued by Deferred Action for
Childhood Arrivals (DACA) for work purposes only, that number should be entered on question #8 of the
application. Question #8 should be left blank for applicants without Social Security numbers. Undocumented AB
540 students should complete the CA Dream Act Application instead of the FAFSA.
Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships UC Santa Barbara (805) 893-2432 2103 SAASB, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-3180
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Frequently Asked Questions
About the Dream Act Application
In the event you have already submitted a FAFSA before learning that you should submit a CA Dream Act
Application, complete the CA Dream Act Application, then contact the California Student Aid Commission at
1-888-224-7268 to let them know that you have submitted both applications.
Q: As an undocumented student, am I eligible for federal student aid?
A: No, undocumented students are not eligible for federal student aid. If you attend an eligible California public or
private institution, you will be considered for CA state financial aid--like Cal Grants, Chafee Foster Youth Grant,
Middle Class Scholarship—and institutional aid—like University Grants, State University Grants, California
Community College Board of Governors (BOG) fee waivers, and private scholarships administered through
institutions. Your school will determine your financial aid eligibility. We encourage you to submit the CA Dream
Act Application by March 2, because it is the deadline to receive consideration for most types of aid available to
you.
Q: Do I have to wait until my parents or I file taxes to complete my CA Dream Act
Application?
A: No, do not miss any important deadlines! The Dream Act Application requires tax information from the
prior-prior-year (e.g. for the 2017-18 academic year application you will enter 2015 tax information). It is no
longer required that you have tax information from the prior year to complete the application. If you or your
parents did not earn enough in the prior-prior-year to file taxes, simply select “Will not file” on the tax filing
question in the application.
Q: What if my parents live in another county, and I live with my aunt/boyfriend/sibling/
roommate?
A: If you are 24 years or younger and don’t meet any of the independent criteria (application questions #46-58),
even if you do not live with your legal parents (biological or adoptive parents) you must provide your parents’
information, and one parent must sign your application. You cannot report your aunt, grandparent, sibling,
boyfriend/girlfriend, legal guardian, or friend’s information in place of parent information unless they have legally
adopted you.
If you are unable to get your parent information, complete the application as much as you can and contact your
college’s financial aid office (FAO) as soon as possible. The FAO will evaluate your situation and tell you if they
can override the need for parent information. The California Student Aid Commission does not have the authority
to override dependency or financial information.
Q: Does my parent’s citizenship affect my eligibility for Dream Act financial aid?
A: No, your parents’ citizenship status does not impact your eligibility to receive Dream Act financial aid.
Q: How does my parent sign my application?
A: After completing your online application, navigate to the link that says “Sign Student Application.” Your parent
must select “Request Parent PIN” and answer the verification questions. Then your parent will be issued a 4-digit
electronic PIN code to sign your application. Keep this code in a safe place—your parent will need it to sign each
time you make a correction to your application and re-apply each year.
Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships UC Santa Barbara
(805) 893-2432 2103 SAASB, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-3180
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Q: I applied! What’s next? Do I automatically get financial aid?
A: Great! Next, the California Student Aid Commission will send your application data to all of the colleges you
listed on your application. After allowing for processing time, 8-10 business days, you may follow up with those
colleges to confirm that they have received your application. To apply for the Cal Grant, you must also submit
your high school or community college GPA to the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) by the March 2
deadline (Often times schools will submit student GPAs to CSAC automatically, verify this with your respective
high school or community college). Qualifying for the Cal Grant is not automatic. Cal Grant is a need-based
program. You must meet financial eligibility and GPA requirements.
Q: I was notified that I got the Cal Grant! How do I get the money?
A: You must set up a Web Grants for Students account to manage your Cal Grant, to make school changes or
address changes, and to find out if there are additional actions that must be taken before your school can
disburse your first payment. Visit www.webgrants4students.org to create an account.
If you are not attending the college that you listed as the primary college on your CA Dream Act Application, you
must submit a school change through www.webgrants4students.org.
Q. How do I renew my Cal Grant?
A: If you received the Cal Grant, you must re-submit your CA Dream Act Application every year to renew your
award. You will use the same login information (User ID/Password) from the previous year to enter your CA Dream
Act Application. To re-submit your application, go to www.caldreamact.org, click the green “Login to Application”
button, provide your login information, and select the appropriate academic year application. The deadline is the
same every year: March 2nd.
Learn more about the California Dream Act
www.csac.ca.gov/dream_act.asp
Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships UC Santa Barbara
(805) 893-2432 2103 SAASB, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-3180
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