California Dream Act

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The California Dream Act of 2011 consists of two bills, Assembly Bill 130 (AB 130) and Assembly Bill 131 (AB 131).  AB 130 was signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown on June 25, 2011, and AB 131 was signed into law by Gov. Brown on Oct. 8, 2011.

  • AB 130 was effective Jan. 1, 2012, and allows students attending UC Merced who are exempt from paying nonresident tuition under Assembly Bill 540 (AB 540) and are ineligible for federal financial aid, to be eligible to receive UC Merced scholarships that are derived from private, non-state funds.
  • AB 131 (the second part of the Dream Act), goes into effect Jan. 1, 2013, and allows students who are exempt from paying nonresident tuition under AB 540 and who are ineligible for federal financial aid to receive all grants and scholarships that are derived from UC Merced or state funds.

Who is Eligible to Apply?

  • You must be ineligible for Federal Financial Aid.
  • You must be a California Resident.
  • You must apply for and qualify for an AB 540 nonresident tuition exemption in order to be eligible for grant aid.
  • Prospective students must have an entry 3.25 grade point average (GPA) or above in order to be eligible for Institutional Scholarships.
  • Continuing students must have a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) or above in order to be eligible for Institutional Scholarships.

Applying is as Easy as 1-2-3

  1. You must complete the California Dream Act Application.
  2. The Continuing Student Scholarship Application will open on Februrary 1st.
  3. You must be qualify for an AB 540 nonresident tuition exemption.

     

APPLY NOW!

 

IMPORTANT:
Undocumented students cannot complete or submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application and should instead submit the California Dream Act Application

Students who ARE eligible to complete the FAFSA should NOT complete the California Dream Act Application.

Here are Top 10 things you need to know about the California Dream Act.

If your questions were not answered here, please view AB 131 FAQ's or our frequently asked questions.