The California Dream Act allows undocumented and nonresident students who qualify for a non-resident exemption under the Assembly Bill 540 (AB 540) to receive CA state based financial aid and institutional grants/scholarships. Change in federal policy will NOT affect financial aid eligibility under the California Dream Act. The California Dream Act Application (CADAA) is part of CA state law. You do not have to qualify for Deferred Action (DACA) to apply.

The California Nonresident Tuition Exemption Education Code commonly known as Assembly Bill 540 (or AB 540) enables certain students to pay in-state tuition and apply for state financial aid. Please note that the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) uses a series of skip logic questions to help determine eligibility. Our office does not determine AB 540 eligibility.

Undocumented students, students who are U.S. citizens but who are not California residents, and dependent students whose parents are not California residents may be eligible for AB 540. Student must meet the following requirements:

Time and Coursework Requirements

  • 3 years high school credits and 3 years total attendance at any of these California schools: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

    OR

  • 3 years attendance (or equivalent) at any of these schools in California: High School, Adult School, Community College (Maximum of 2 years of CC may be applied towards the 3 year SB 68 requirement)

Degree or Transfer Eligibility

  • Graduated from a California High School (or the equivalent, GED, HiSET, TASC, CHSPE) OR

  • Earned an Associates Degree from a California Community College OR 

  • Met the minimum requirements to transfer to a CSU or UC. 

Non-resident Tuition Exemption 

  • Student files a signed California Non-resident Exemption Request (AB 540 Affidavit) with the college or university. 

  • For more information please visit the UC AB 540 Non-resident Tuition Exemption web page. 

How to apply

After you accept your admissions offer from UC Santa Barbara, you will need to submit your Statement of Legal Residence to the campus residency deputy. The Residency Deputy may provide additional forms for you to complete to determine your eligibility for AB 540 non-resident tuition exemption. 

If you have any specific questions, you may contact the residency deputy at Residency@sa.ucsb.edu

Students who are non-immigrant visa holders (including but not limited to the following visas: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, R, S, T*, TN/TD, TWOV, U*, and NATO) are not eligible for this exemption and are not eligible for federal or state financial aid. 

* Except for holders of T and U visas:  UC policy permits T and U visa holders with approved I-485 applications who meet the requirements described above to be exempt from nonresident supplemental tuition until they are eligible to establish California residency according to UC policy.

The California Dream Act Application (CADAA) allows students that reside in California and who are undocumented, DACA recipients (valid and/or expired), U-Visa holders, and/or have Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and also meet AB 540 requirements, to apply for state and institutional financial aid. Students who file the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) are not eligible for federal financial aid. 

Information within the California Dream Act Application is not shared with federal databases. Student and Parent information is protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which prohibits schools from disclosing personally identifiable information to a third party without the consent of the student.

Application Opens: October 1st of each calendar year

Priority Filing Deadline: March 2nd of each calendar year

Apply on the CSAC website.

Tax Year Data Used:
2023 tax return for the 2025-2026 CADAA
2024 tax return for the 2026-2027 CADAA

*Make sure to have your and your parents income information ready such as tax returns and W-2 forms. 

UC Santa Barbara's School Code: #001320

Is Parent Signature Required?
Yes, please ensure your parent signs the application in order for the application to be processed successfully.

Resources: CA Dream Act Checklist (Immigrants Rising)

Need help?
Join the Line to receive a call back from an advisor or meet with us in person.

Award Letters 

For recently admitted students, Financial Aid Offers will become available during the month of March - roughly about 1 week after admission decisions are released. 

For current and incoming students, official award letters are released on a rolling basis beginning in in mid-July.

Required Documents 

If a student is selected for the verification process, our office will notify them via their UCSB email. Current students can check their My Aid Status or visit ucsb.studentforms.com to review any required documents. All students can check ahead of time if they were selected for verification by looking at the summary page of their submitted CADAA. Please note that even if a student was not initially selected for verification, they can be selected for verification after making any corrections to their already submitted CADAA.

Financial Circumstances Changed 

At times, the income information reported on a student’s California Dream Act Application (CADAA) does not accurately reflect a family’s current financial circumstances. Situations that impact a student and/or family’s ability to contribute to the cost of education can be reevaluated through a Family Contribution Appeal. Please note that these appeals are reviewed on a case by case basis. For more information, please refer to our Appeals section of our website.

*2025-2026 appeals are now available! 

Grants and Scholarships

Grants are gift aid that you do not need to pay back and are based on financial need. Dream Scholars (i.e. CADAA filers) are eligible to receive state and institutional financial aid only. In order to be eligible to receive grants and scholarships, students must file the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) by March 2nd and have AB 540 eligibility.

Please refer to Gift Aid for more information about state and institutional financial aid.

Loans

Dream Scholars are ineligible to receive federal financial aid including Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and/or Parent Plus loans. However, Dream Scholars are eligible to receive the California Dream Loan and the UCSB Loan, which are non-federal loans.

Read more about the CA Dream Loan.

Read more about the UCSB Loan.

Professional Experience Opportunities

UCSB Work-Study

Similar to the federal work-study, UCSB work-study is awarded to high need students and provides them with the opportunity to work on-campus or off-campus. The program is intended to encourage students to seek part-time employment and reduce the amount of debt incurred while attending college. 

Students who participate in the UCSB work-study program will receive the funds in form of a paycheck. UCSB work-study funds will not be paid directly to a student’s billing account. 

This award can only be activated if a student was granted deferred action under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and obtained a social security number as well as an employment authorization card. 

Monarch Opportunity Scholarship

The Monarch Opportunity Scholarship is a program designed to help students acquire professional experience. This opportunity is available to Dream Scholars who have not been granted deferred action under DACA. To find more information about the scholarship, please visit Undocumented Student Services website.

Where can I see my eligibility? 

Students can view their UCSB work-study or their Monarch Opportunity Scholarship eligibility on their financial aid award letter. On their award letters, students will see these opportunities listed as “Professional Experience Opportunity.” In order to determine what program a student can participate in, the student will be prompted to answer a "yes" or "no" question regarding their work authorization.

Dream Service Incentive Grant (DSIG)

The California Dream Act Service Incentive Grant (DSIG) Program provides financial assistance to eligible California Dream Act Application (CADAA) students who complete community or volunteer service. This program supports students in gaining valuable, hands on experience while earning additional financial aid. A student can receive up to $4,500 per AY ($1,500 per quarter) and is available up to 12 quarters while the student maintains an active Cal Grant A or B award. Students must submit a DSIG application for each award year in addition to the CADAA. DSIG Applications are available starting July 1 and accepted until June 30 of the academic year or until all 1,667 awards are exhausted, whichever comes first. The CADAA should be submitted by the priority deadline for state aid. To qualify for the DSIG Program, students must:

  • Demonstrate sufficient financial need (determined by CSAC and verified by their institution)
  • Complete a California Dream Act Application (CADAA) for the academic year
  • Be an active recipient of a Cal Grant A or B award
  • Cal Grant A recipients must meet Cal Grant B eligibility
  • Complete 300 service hours at a qualifying organization (July 1 – June 30) - 100 hours per quarter
  • Service must be related to the student’s field of study or a community need and cannot involve political, social, or religious advocacy

DSIG Forms & Resources: https://www.csac.ca.gov/dsig/resources
FAQ: https://www.csac.ca.gov/sites/default/files/file-attachments/dsig_faq_for_students.pdf

Other Resources