Paying for College

Most undocumented students are eligible to pay the in-state tuition cost and receive state and university financial aid by demonstrating time living in California and graduation. Additionally,  On this page you will find information on California policies and resources that help make college affordable to undocumented scholars. Programs like DACA and TPS are NOT a requirement for admissions or financial aid.

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Establishing In-State Tuition

Undocumented students who are first-time freshmen, transfer, or graduates, may be eligible to pay in-state tuition. During the admissions process, SJSU will determine residency status for tuition purposes based on the information that was provided in the CSU Application for Admissions.  Most undocumented students may qualify for in-state tuition by meeting the requirements for AB 540, AB 2000, or SB 68 (CA Non Resident Tuition Exemption). By qualifying, students are exempt from paying the out-of-state fees, which can be 3 times higher than that of in-state tuition.

To determine if you qualify for in-state tuition based on your immigration status, click on the link below.

AB 540 and Residency Eligibility Guide

Related Links


Financial Aid Options for UndocuSpartans

There are various forms of aid and scholarship available to undergraduate and graduate undocumented students, on and off campus. Undocumented students may be eligible to receive certain types of aid based on residency eligibility for tuition purposes.

  Non- Instate

AB 540

CA Resident

State and University Aid

No Yes No

School Scholarships 

Some Yes Yes

External Scholarships

Yes Yes Yes

State and University Financial Aid

Undocumented students who qualify for AB 540, AB 2000, or SB 68, may be eligible to receive state and university aid through the CA Dream Act Application. Aid under the CA Dream Act may include:

  • Cal Grant, Chafee Grant, Middle Class Scholarship
  • State University Grants
  • EOP Grant
  • Some University scholarships
  • Some private scholarships administered by campuses
  • CA Dream Loan
  • Ca Dream Service Incentive Grant 

Undergraduate and Graduate students who qualify, are encouraged to apply by the priority deadline.

About the CA Dream Act

Scholarships

For many undocumented students, scholarships can be a key way to cover the cost of college tuition, fees, and other expenses — especially if they do not qualify for state or university aid. Scholarships are funds that do not require payback and that award students based on things such as area of study, class level, grades/GPA, community involvement, county of residence, etc. Many of these scholarships do not require a SSN# or AB540/SB68 eligibility.  We encourage students to seek scholarship opportunities year round since scholarships have different deadlines and requirements to apply. Check out our scholarship page for more information.  

Scholarship Resources for UndocuSpartans