AB 540 and Expansions

ASSEMBLY BILL 540 (AB 540)

Assembly Bill 540 (AB 540) is a California law, enacted in 2002, which allows non-resident students to pay in-state tuition fees for all California public colleges and universities, including Los Angeles Valley College. AB 540 can be the difference maker for a student who wants continue in higher education. For example, at current fees, an AB 540-eligible student would pay $552 for full time status in enrollment fees per semester; without AB 540, the same student would have to pay $3,468 in enrollment fees and required non-resident tuition fees.

How can a student apply for AB 540 at Los Angeles Valley College?

Provided all AB 540 eligibility criteria is met, a student must do the following after having enrolled in classes at Los Angeles Valley College to qualify for in-state tuition under AB 540:

• Submit a California Nonresident Tuition Exemption Request form, also known as the AB 540 affidavit, to the Admissions & Records office on campus (the form may be accessed here)
• Additional documentation to prove that AB 540 eligibility criteria has been met may be required by the Admissions & Records office.

Students are only required to submit these documents once throughout their enrollment at Los Angeles Valley College. However, if a student decides to attend another college, student must apply for AB 540 at each college of enrollment separately. Students should contact the Admissions Office at the college they intend to attend for information, as each institution may have different procedures for filling out an

Senate Bill 68 (SB 68)

SB 68 further expands in-state tuition eligibility in California beyond the current requirements for AB 540/AB 2000. Due to this new law, more students are elegible to pay in-state tuition at California public colleges.

SB 68 allows students to count full-time attendance at a California Community College, Adult School, Department of Rehabilitation and Correction School, High School, or combination of these schools to meet the 3 years AB540 requirements.

Students will be able to use an Associate’s Degree or the fulfillment of the minimum transfer requirements for the UCs or CSUs to meet the requirements. Contact the school you plan to attend for further information.

Eligibility

• Undocumented individuals
• T and U visa holders
• U.S. citizens
• Lawfully present immigrants who meet the eligibility criteria above can apply if their classes were taken in 2001 or after
• Individuals with international student visas, visitor visas, or other “nonimmigrants” statuses are not eligible to apply

For more information, visit: Immigrants Rising