AB540 Undocumented Non-Citizens
Antelope Valley College Dreamers Center Information Page
Our mission is to serve all undocumented students at Antelope Valley College and the community with information and resources to promote college admissions, persistence, graduation, transfer and careers.
SERVICES
- California Dream Act Information and Assistance
- Scholarship Resources for Dreamers
- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Information and Referrals
- Workshops
- Academic and Career Advising
- Safe and Supportive Environment
WHAT IS AB540?
On October 12, 2001, Governor Gray Davis signed into law Assembly Bill 540 authored by the late Assemblyman Marco Antonio Firebaugh. The law added a new section to the California Education Code that created a new exemption from the payment of nonresident tuition for certain nonresident students who have attended high school in California and received a high school diploma or its equivalent. [Education Code section 68130.5]
Who qualifies?
You are an AB 540 student, and exempt from paying non-resident enrollment fees, if you meet all of the following criteria:
- Attended a California high school for at least three years;
- Graduated from a California high school, got a GED or passed the California High School Proficiency Exam;
- Are registered or enrolled at a California community college; AND
- If required, complete an affidavit saying you have filed (or will file when you are eligible to do so) for legal immigration status.
AB 540 students may be:
- Students who are U.S. citizens, but who are not CA residents
- Students who are undocumented
AB 540 students are not:
- Students with a non-immigrant Visa status (U-Visa and victims of sex trafficking may be eligible for AB 540 status)
- Students "home-schooled" by a parent who does not hold a CA teacher credential
- Students living out-of-state and enrolling in a private California "internet high school"
*New AB540 Students
Before enrolling, in order to be considered AB540 and eligible for the CA Dream Act, students must complete, sign and submit the California Nonresident Tuition Exemption Request to the Admissions Office. Official High School transcripts must be attached to the request in order to determine eligibility.
Non-resident AVC tuition exemption requests can be found at:
AB 2000
This is an expansion of AB540. It increases the scope of student eligibility for students who graduated early from a California High School with the equivalent of three or more years of credits. If a student graduates early, they must have attended CA elementary or secondary schools for a cumulative total of 3 or more years.