February 14, 2017 Note: This Special Alert from the California Student Aid Commission notifies Financial Aid Administrators and High School Counselors that the parent signature option of the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) is not functioning properly when using the Mozilla Firefox browser. The following web browsers should be used for optimal compatibility: Microsoft Internet Explorer version 9.0 or higher; Google Chrome version 24.0 or higher; Apple Safari version 5.0 and higher.
AB 540 (eligibility requirements) allows certain undocumented students to pay in-state tuition rates at state schools in California. Students who are eligible for AB 540 are also now eligible to apply for California financial aid (grants and the DREAM Loan), as well as non-state funded scholarships through the California DREAM Act Application. Throughout the DREAM Act Application process, all information received from the student and/or family is kept confidential under California state law.
(Please note that students who are not eligible for AB 540 may still be eligible for some external scholarship support.)
In addition to information on this webpage, we strongly recommend using Immigrants Rising student guide to the California DREAM Act.
The first step in applying for financial aid as an AB 540 student, is to complete the AB 540 Affidavit and submit it to Cal Poly’s Admissions Office.
California DREAM Act Application
After submitting the AB 540 Affidavit, you need to complete the California DREAM Act Application. This means you are automatically considered for the California DREAM Loan and state-funded financial aid, including: institutional state grants, Cal Grant, Chafee Grant, and the State Educational Opportunity Program Grant.
You will receive an award notification after your application passes a verification process, and your financial aid award will be posted to your Portal. You may be selected for a verification process, in which case you will be required to submit additional information and respond promptly to any requests from the Financial Aid Office. Information will be posted on your Cal Poly Portal To-Do List.
The California DREAM Act Application must be renewed each year and financial aid eligibility is dependent on maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), which is determined at the end of each spring quarter.
California DREAM Loan
The California DREAM Loan is a subsidized loan program for undergraduate students who have a valid California DREAM Act application and AB 540 Affidavit on file with Cal Poly. Eligible students are automatically offered the loan if funding is available. These students will receive an email notification with the new financial aid award offer on their Portal. The steps required to receive the loan, listed below, will be added to a student's To Do List on their Student Center after the loan has been accepted.
Additional Steps to Finalize the California DREAM Loan Award:
- Wait for an email from ECSI, the loan servicing center, with log-in information to their website.
- Follow the email’s instructions to log in, complete loan entrance counseling, and the DREAM Loan Promissory Note.
- Once completed, ECSI will notify Cal Poly and loan funds will be disbursed.
The loan will be granted to another eligible student if it is not accepted and finalized within 30 days after it is offered.
The interest rate for 2016-17 loans is 3.76%. Repayment begins 6 months after a student ceases to attend Cal Poly at least half-time (12 units per quarter), including after graduation.
The loan amount offered for the 2016-17 school year is $1,200 per student.