Assembly Bill 540 (AB 540)

Assembly Bill 540 is a law that was passed in 2001 by the California legislature. This law is written for students who are undocumented or U.S. Citizen/Permanent Residents who went to High School in California.  If students meet specific requirements, they are able to pay ‘resident fees’ instead of ‘non-resident fees’ if they attend a CA public institution of higher education.

The basic criteria to meet eligibility for AB 540 are the following:

• Attended a California high school for a minimum of three years

AND,

• Graduate from a California high school or pass the California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE) or get a General Equivalency Diploma (GED, also called General Educational Development test))

AND,

• Enroll in an accredited California institution of higher education (CCC, CSU, or UC)

AND,

File a “Non-Resident Tuition Exemption” Affidavit with the school. In the case of students without legal immigration status, they must state that they have filed or will file an application to legalize their immigration status as soon as they are eligible to do so.