California Dream Act Application Open: State Aid Available to Undocumented and Mixed-Status Students
For California students who lack legal status but are headed to college all the same, a dedicated financial-aid channel is open. The California Dream Act Application (CADAA) for the 2027-28 academic year opened on Oct. 1, 2026, with a priority deadline of March 2, 2027, administered by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC).
According to CSAC, CADAA serves undocumented students, students with U visas or Temporary Protected Status, students who meet California's nonresident tuition exemption (AB 540), and students from mixed-status families. Through this single application, students can be considered for Cal Grants, the Middle Class Scholarship, Chafee grants, University of California and California State University grants, and community college fee waivers, among other state and campus aid.
Two dates matter most: students applying for a Cal Grant must also have their school submit a GPA verification form to CSAC by March 2, 2027, and community college students have a later priority deadline of Sept. 2, 2027. Students eligible for federal aid should file the FAFSA instead; only one of the two forms is needed.
CSAC notes that CADAA must be renewed every year. Applications are filed at dream.csac.ca.gov, and the commission's student support line is 1-888-224-7268. Filing early keeps students in line when aid is awarded. (Source: California Student Aid Commission)
Source: California Student Aid Commission
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
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