Mural at the AB540 Center

Important Updates

  • If you have been selected for verification, the deadline is June 15, 2023.  Please review your email for instructions.
  • For California Middle Class Scholarship updates, please visit MCS.
  • For Biden-Harris Administration’s Student Debt Relief information, please visit Apply for Federal Student Loan Debt Relief.

Undocumented/DACAmented Students

Financial Aid Information for Undocumented/DACAmented Students

Undocumented/DACAmented students who qualify under AB540 criteria can apply for financial aid by submitting the California Dream Act Application (CADAA). To be considered for state and institutional awards, including grants, need-based scholarships, loans, and Work-Study, undocumented/DACAmented AB540 eligible students must complete the following steps:

Submit a California Dream Act Application (CADAA) by the March 2 priority deadline each year for maximum financial aid consideration.

  • Incoming students interested in receiving a Cal Grant must submit the GPA Verification Form to the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) by March 2. You can monitor and manage your Cal Grant account on the CSAC website.
  • Continuing students who have completed at least 39 units at UC Davis will have their GPA automatically submitted to CSAC by March 2. You can monitor and manage your Cal Grant account on the CSAC website.
  • Entering students will automatically be considered for UC Davis scholarships based on the admissions application.
  • First-year and continuing students may submit the scholarship application for the following academic year online between October and early January.
  • For more information on the scholarship application process, including joining the Scholarship Opportunities Listserv, please visit our undergraduate scholarships section.
  • There are many opportunities to receive outside scholarships. For a list of scholarship opportunities, please visit our Outside Scholarships page for AB540 students.


California Dream Act Service Incentive Grant Program

The California Dream Act Service Incentive Grant Program (DSIG) encourages California Dream Act Applicant (CADAA) students with a Cal Grant A award that met Cal Grant B eligibility or a Cal Grant B award to perform community or volunteer service. The California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) will award up to $4,500 per academic year ($1,500 per quarter) to eligible students. The grant will be available to the student for up to 12 quarters while they have an active Cal Grant A or B award. Students must also meet Satisfactory Academic Progress and complete any necessary verification for their Cal Grant award.

Eligible students must:

  • Apply annually
  • Attend a qualifying institution (UC Davis qualifies)
  • Have sufficient unmet financial need
  • Complete community or volunteer service hours within the eligible academic year

Students shall perform at least 100 hours per quarter of community or volunteer service. Students can volunteer with any of the organization(s) on the List of Service Organizations or with any organization not on the list if it meets the criteria for a qualifying service organization. 

Instructions & Application

For Section 2 of the application: please submit the application to UC Davis Financial Aid and Scholarships via Contact An Expert for staff to complete Section 2. Please allow 7-10 business days for us to return the application to you for completion and submission to CSAC.

For more information, review the DSIG FAQs. Click here for complete instructions and application: California Dream Act Service Incentive Grant Program

Institutional Work-Study

Institutional Work-Study is awarded, based on need, to AB540 students who are eligible to work. For AB540 students who are also undocumented, need is determined by the California Dream Act Application (CADAA). CADAA applicants must also hold a valid work authorization status in the United States to be eligible (e.g., certain individuals with pending asylum cases, Temporary Protected Status recipients, U Visa recipients, etc.).  

Because funding is limited, not all students with need receive a Work-Study award. Work-Study allows a student to earn financial aid through employment. Instead of a financial aid payment, the student's Work-Study award is paid in the form of a payroll check for time/hours worked. All job listings are available online at Handshake.

Dream Loan

The California DREAM Loan Program provides eligible AB540 undergraduates with the option to borrow loans to help cover college expenses while attending UC Davis. Students who demonstrate financial aid eligibility will be offered a DREAM loan. The amount offered may vary based on the academic year and available funding.


Additional Resources for Undocumented/DACAmented Students

For more information, please visit UC California Dream Act Application tips provided by the University of California. CSAC also provides useful resources about the CADAA. We also have listed a variety of resources available to undocumented/DACAmented students, including scholarship opportunities:


Information on AB540

Until the passage of the Dream Act, undocumented/DACAmented students were not eligible for state or university-funded financial aid. Under this law, undocumented/DACAmented students who qualify under AB540 criteria may now be eligible for certain types of financial aid. The CADAA is used to determine a student's eligibility for need-based financial aid. For information on what this means for you at UC Davis, please see the UC's Applying for Financial Aid webpage.


Information on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

On June 15, 2012, the Secretary of Homeland Security announced that certain people who came to the United States as children and meet several key guidelines may request consideration of deferred action for a period of two years, subject to renewal, and would then be eligible for work authorization. Deferred action is a discretionary determination to defer the removal action of an individual as an act of prosecutorial discretion. Deferred action does not provide an individual with lawful status. For more information visit the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals webpage.

For detailed information on the California Dream Act, please visit the CSAC website.