California Dream Act Application

Jump to:

• About the CA Dream Act
• CA Dream Act Incentive Grant (DSIG)
• Apply for Aid
• CA Dream Act FAQ
• Resources 

About

The California Dream Act Application (CADAA) allows qualifying SJSU students to apply for state  and university financial aid. This application is unrelated to the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Who can apply? students in California who meet the requirements for the CA Non-Resident Tuition Exemption (AB 540, AB 2000, SB 68). This includes students who are undocumented with no social security number, those with DACA, TPS, T Visa, or U Visa. Students will need to be enrolled at least half time (6 units or more) to qualify. 

CADAA- State and CSU Financial Aid Programs 

• Cal Grant, Chafee Grant, Middle Class Scholarship
• State University Grant (SUG)
• CA Dream Act Service Incentive Grant (DSIG) (requires additional application)
• CA Dream Loan 
• Golden State Teacher Grant (requires additional application)
• EOP (must be in EOP)
• University Scholarships
• Private scholarships administered by campuses

The CA Dream Act Service Incentive Grant (DSIG)

If you are a CA Dream Act student that was offered a Cal Grant A and met Cal Grant B eligibility or Cal Grant B, don’t miss out on $4,500 worth of aid! Apply for The California Dream Act Service Incentive Grant (DSIG) and receive aid upon performing community or volunteer service. 

Applying for DSIG: 

• Consult with the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office to verify that you qualify.
• Identify a qualifying community or volunteer service organization.  
  • Here you will find a list of approved organizations for DSIG
  • Students may also volunteer at any SJSU department that is willing to host a DSIG volunteer.
• Fill out the DSIG application and obtain the appropriate signatures. 
• Submit the completed form(s) to the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC). Email the form(s) to studentsupport@csac.ca.gov

Organizations not on the List of Service Organizations, can complete and submit the Service Organization Registration form found on the DSIG Forms webpage.

Have questions about eligibility requirements? Please reach out to the SJSU Financial Aid and Scholarship Office or any of our UndocuAlly financial aid advisors. 

Apply for DSIG

FAQ for Students

Completing the CA Dream Act Application

The 2024-25 California Dream Act Application (CADAA) and the Free Application For Student Aid (FAFSA) are changing! Priority application window will be from December 2023 - April 2nd, 2024. For more information on how to prepare for the upcoming changes, check out this financial aid fact sheet [pdf]. 

SJSU Financial Aid and Scholarship Office

CA Dream Act FAQ

• Who can apply for the CADAA? 

  • Undergraduate AND graduate undocumented students in California who meet the requirements for the CA Non-Resident Tuition Exemption  (AB 540).

• For tax information, what year should I report for the 2024-25 application? 

  •  You can apply using prior-prior year tax information. For 2024-25 CADAA application, you will need to use income information from 2022. 

• Will I need to verify my tax information? 

  • Every year students are selected at random for tax verification. If you are selected, SJSU will be comparing your CADAA with your (and your spouse's, if you are married) and/or your parent's income tax return, or with W-2 forms, or other financial documents.

    Selected students will be assigned to provide the required documents within their To-Do List in MySJSU. 

• Can I submit the CA Dream Act if I missed the priority deadline?

  • March 2nd*, is the priority filing deadline for most colleges and universities and the absolute deadline for submission of your Cal Grant application (CADAA + GPA).

    Students are encouraged to submit a CADAA application after the priority deadline but there is no guarantee that funding will be available. CADAA on file could also help students access resources or scholarships that would require income information.

    * For the 24/25 AY, the priority deadline has been pushed back to April 2nd, 2024.

• What can I do if my parents or I did not file taxes?

  • If a student or parents do not file taxes because they do not have a social security number or ITIN, and/or did not earn more than the IRS threshold, then a written statement will be required.

• Do I need to submit a GPA verification if I am a continuing student? 

  • No. The SJSU Financial Aid and Scholarship Office submits GPAs on behalf of continuing students. 

•  When is a person considered independent for financial aid purposes?

  • • Married or has dependent
    • 24 or older
    • Under 24 and homeless (with proof)
    • Ward of the court
    • Veterans of the armed forces
    • Have children or dependents

    • Has obtained independence override

• Where can I get support with my CADAA?

  • For questions in regarding the CADAA and other aid options, student may reach out to the USRC liaison and Assistant Director of the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office, Lucy Serrato-Lager (lucy.serrato@sjsu.edu)  or any of the financial aid advisors within the UndocuAlly Network.  

    Students are also welcome to reach out to the USRC for general questions.

• Do I need to submit an application every year?

  • YES. Priority registration window for 2024-25 is December 2023 - April 2nd, 2024. 

    Visit the CA Dream Act website to access the application. 

• Do I need a Social Security number for the CADAA?

  • Not necessarily. Students are not required to have a Social Security Number to submit the CADAA. Students without a SSN or students who have lost DACA status (or never applied for DACA) may be eligible to receive aid.

    Read the CADAA Application Instructions.

• How do I check how long I qualify for Cal Grant? 

  • You can check by going to the CAL Grant website.

• When is the University Grant (SUG) maxed out? 

  • For undergraduates, SUG is maxed out when a student has attempted to take over 150 SJSU units starting as a freshman or over 75 SJSU units as a transfer.

    Graduate students cannot exceed more than 125% earned units of the required program length.

    
    For more information please visit the SJSU Financial Aid State University Grant Web page. 

• I submitted my CA Dream but I have not seen my financial aid award.

  • There could be various reasons why you have not been awarded after submitting the CA Dream Act Application. Here are some examples of common issues that students encounter with the CADAA. 

    Also, make sure that you have been approved for the CA Non-Resident Tuition Exemption.

    Reach out to the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office for questions about your application. 

Additional Resources 

• Ca Dream Act Online Application
• CADAA Information and Resources (including guides and FAQs)
• CA Dream Act - SJSU Financial Aid and Scholarship Office (FASO)
• CA Dream Loan at SJSU
• Financial Aid and Satisfactory Academic Progress
• Better FAFSA for Mixed-Status Families: Top 10 Things to Know So You Can Prepare

Financial Aid Advising for UndocuSpartans