Undocumented Students

Financial Aid Information for Undocumented Students

Below you will find information regarding financial aid options available to help undocumented students reach their educational goals and pursue their dreams.

  • Until the passage of the Dream Act, undocumented students were not eligible for federal, state or university funded financial aid. Under this new law, undocumented students may now be eligible for certain types of financial aid. For information on what this means for you, please see Paying for UC's California Dream Act webpage. The new California Dream Act Application will be used to determine a student's financial need for awarding need-based scholarships as well as University and Cal Grants.

    Need-based scholarships became available for eligible undocumented students in fall quarter of 2012-2013, and University Grants became available in winter 2013 for eligible, enrolled students. Cal Grant funding will be available beginning in fall 2013 for eligible students enrolled in 2013-2014. For more information on The Dream Act, please visit dream.csac.ca.gov/.

    To be considered for awards, students must complete a California Dream Act Application. For 2013-2014 students must file by March 2, 2013 for priority consideration and to be eligible for Cal Grant funding. Be sure to include our school code, 001313. For Cal Grants, eligible applicants must also file a GPA Verification form directly with CSAC before March 2, 2013. The GPA Verification form is available online at calgrants.org.
  • To better understand how this legislation affects you, please see the UC documents The California Dream Act and Frequently Asked Questions about AB 131 (California Dream Act II). Additional information is also available in UC Santa Barbara's California Dream Application Tutorial.
  • Undocumented students are now eligible for many campus-based scholarships, and will automatically be considered for those based on your admissions application. If you wish to be considered for need-based scholarships, non-citizen AB540-eligible students must complete a California Dream Act Application. Be sure to include our school code, 001313. You will be notified by the UC Davis Undergraduate & Prestigious Scholarship Office if you are awarded a scholarship. For information on the application process, including joining the Scholarship Opportunities Listserv, please visit our website at financialaid.ucdavis.edu/scholarships/index.html.
  • AB540 is a tuition exemption program that allows eligible undocumented students living in California to pay in-state tuition. To be eligible for this tuition exemption, students must meet specific criteria. For more information and to review the eligibility requirements of this program, please see Paying for UC's - Nonresident Tuition Exemption webpage. For questions regarding registration fees and tuition for non-resident students, please contact the UC Davis Office of the University Registrar: registrar.ucdavis.edu/html/slr.html
  • Throughout the year, a number of outside organizations contact the Undergraduate & Prestigious Scholarships Office to publicize their scholarship opportunities. To help our students access the many available scholarships, we maintain the Outside Agency Scholarships page. The selection criteria, application process, and deadlines for these external scholarships vary, so please review the listings and associated websites for more detailed information. Undocumented students are welcome to apply for these scholarships, as long as you meet the requirements. And be sure to contact these organizations directly with any questions you may have.

Additional Resources for Undocumented Students

Below we have listed a variety of resources available to undocumented students, including scholarship opportunities geared specifically for this demographic. We hope that you find these resources helpful.