AB540
California Nonresident Tuition Exemption
GENERAL INFORMATION
Any student, except those with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) nonimmigrant visa status (see exception below for students who have been granted T or U visa status), who fulfills all of the following requirements, can enjoy the relief of being exempt from paying nonresident tuition at the California Community Colleges, the University of California, and the California State University (all public colleges and universities in California).
A student is exempt from paying nonresident tuition if the student meets all of the following requirements:
1. The student must have:
- For the first requirement, a student must have attended a combination of California high school, adult school, and California Community College for the equivalent of three years or more or
- attained credits earned in California from a California high school equivalent to three or more years of full-time high school course work and attended a combination of elementary, middle, and/or high schools in California for a total of three or more years, and
2. The student must have
- graduated from a California high school or attained the equivalent prior to the start of the term (for example, passing the GED or California High School Proficiency exam), or
- completed an associate degree from a California Community College, or completed the minimum requirements at a California Community College for transfer to the California State University or the University of California
Applicants must submit, as part of the AB540 form, official transcripts/attendance records that validate any of the information above as requested by the College, District, or University residence official.
If the high school the student graduated from uses parchment, please request official high school transcripts at https://www.parchment.com.
If you require assistance with the AB 540 process, please contact the Dreamers Center at (661)722-6313