AB 540/Dreamers California Nonresident Tuition Exemption Request
For Eligible California High School Graduates

 Any student, other than a nonimmigrant alien, who meets all of the following requirements shall be exempt from paying nonresident tuition at all Public colleges in California (the California Community Colleges, the California State University and the University of California).

General Eligibility and Residency

• The law does not grant residency; it requires that certain nonresident students be exempted from paying nonresident tuition.
• This benefit is available to all U.S. citizens, permanent residents of the U.S., and aliens who are not nonimmigrants (including those who are undocumented), who meet all other eligibility criteria.
• Students must meet all requirements to be eligible for exemption.
• The exemption is not available for persons who are absent from California, but who are taking distance education classes from California Community Colleges.

Requirements

• The student must have attended a high school (public or private) in California for three or more years.  Online High Schools must be recognized by the California Department of Education.
• The student must have graduated from a California high school or attained the equivalency (GED or California High School Proficiency Exam) prior to the start of the term.
• An alien student who is without lawful immigration status must file an affidavit with the college or university stating that he or she has filed an application to legalize his or her immigration status, or will file an application as soon as he or she is eligible to do so.
• Students who are nonimmigrants (for example, F student visas, B visitor visas, etc.) are not eligible for this exemption.
• The student must file an exemption request including a signed affidavit with the college that indicates the student has met all applicable conditions described above.  Student information obtained in this process is strictly confidential unless disclosure is required by law.
• Students eligible for this exemption who are transferring to another California public college or university must submit a new request (and documentation if required) to each college under consideration.
• Nonresident students meeting the criteria will be exempted from the payment of nonresident tuition, but they will not be classified as California residents.  They continue to be nonresidents.

To Request an Exemption

• New students, submit an application for admission to Chaffey College. 
• Continuing or returning students, please call the Admissions and Records Office for information.
• Complete a Residency Questionnaire and the AB 540 Exemption forms, and submit them to the Admissions and Records Office.
• Once the documents have been reviewed, you will be contacted by a Residency Advisor.