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College Center » Financial Aid- FAFSA & the DREAM Act

Financial Aid- FAFSA & the DREAM Act

FAFSA & the DREAM Act: 

What You Need to Know

Whether you are a US citizen, a permanent resident, or an undocumented student that qualifies under AB540, money for post-secondary education is available for you! US citizens & permanent residents should fill out the FAFSA, and undocumented students who qualify under AB540 should fill out the DREAM Act application. Use the links below to connect to the appropriate application, and read the information below the links for further details and help:

FASA- https://fafsa.ed.gov/

DREAM Act- https://dream.csac.ca.gov/

 

The FAFSA

FAFSA stands for FREE Application for Federal Student Aid. Yes, you read correctly! It's FREE, and filling it out is the first step in qualifying for financial aid. If you find sites that charge you to fill out the FAFSA, the site is trying to make money off you. Below is a link to a video produced by UC Santa Barbara that will help you with the process in seven easy steps:

http://www.finaid.ucsb.edu/fafsasimplification/index.html

 

The DREAM Act

The DREAM Act is designed to provide undocumented students, who are eligible under AB540, access to financial aid. To qualify as an AB540 student, students must 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 pass 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; AND
  • If applicable, complete(d) an affidavit to legalize immigration status as soon as you are eligible.
*The bullet points above are courtesy of http://www.csac.ca.gov/dream_act.asp

Please use the links below to read more information about the DREAM Act and how to fill out the application:

The DREAM Act application homepage- https://dream.csac.ca.gov/

California DREAM Act Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)- http://www.csac.ca.gov/pubs/forms/grnt_frm/cal_grant_dream_act_faqs.pdf

California DREAM Act Information & Resources- http://www.csac.ca.gov/dream_act.asp

 

Remember you can also come to the College Center in Room 1 for help!