California Nonresident Tuition Exemption

The California Nonresident Tuition Exemption exempts eligible non California Residents, including undocumented students, legal permanent residents, and U.S. Citizens to to pay in-state tuition fees.

California Nonresident Tuition Exemption In-State Tuition Affidavit

To see if you qualify, please complete the

AB 540 Affidavit

In accordance with FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) your information will be kept confidential and is not shared outside the college.

If your residency status changes or if you believe you made an error on the application, please submit a Supplemental Residency Questionnaire to re-evaluate your status.

Criteria

Students must meet all of the following criteria to be eligible:

Attended for three (3) full-time years or the equivalent at any combination of the following:
- Attend a California high school for three (3) or more years, or
- Attend a combination of California high school, adult school, and community college for the equivalent of three (3) years or more, or
- Attend three (3) or more years of high school coursework, and attend a combination of California elementary, secondary, and high school of three (3) or more years and
Have:
- graduated from a California high school or attained the equivalent prior to the start of the term, 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, and
The student must submit an AB540 affidavit.

AB540

Assembly Bill 540 (AB 540) is a California State Law that allows students who meet certain requirements to pay in-state tuition fees at any UC, CSU, or California Community College, regardless of immigration status. Undocumented individuals, T and U visa holders, U.S. citizens, and lawfully present immigrants that meet eligibility criteria can apply. Individuals with international student visas, visitor visas, or other “non-immigrant” statuses are not eligible to apply.

AB 2000

Assembly Bill 2000 (AB 2000) is an expansion of AB540. It increases the scope of student eligibility for students who graduated early from a California High School with the equivalent of three or more years of credits. If a student graduates early, they must have attended CA elementary or secondary schools for a cumulative total of 3 or more years. It allows students meeting the criteria below to pay in-state tuition, the same as resident students.

SB68

SB 68 expands AB 540 to enable students to count years spent at a California Community College (two years) and Adult School towards AB 540 eligibility. Additionally, the bill will allow the completion of an associate degree or satisfaction of the minimum requirements to transfer to the University of California (UC) or California State University (CSU) to meet the degree or unit requirements. These new eligibility criteria expand possibilities for students educated in CA to qualify for in-state tuition and state-based financial aid at CCCs, CSUs, and UCs.

SB1141

SB 68 expands AB 540 to remove the two year limitation for California Community College coursework.

Resources

UPRISE (Undocumented People Rise in Solidarity and Empowerment)

MiraCosta College welcomes undocumented and mixed status students as part of the Spartan community! We are honored to be a part of your educational journey, and we look forward to celebrating your successes while you are here!

If you identify as undocumented, DACAmented, or a mixed-status student, please consider visiting the UPRISE (Undocumented People Rise in Solidarity and Empowerment) webpage for information and services available to you.

Data Protection Statement

MiraCosta College will not release any personally identifiable student information, including any data related to immigration status, without a judicial warrant, subpoena or court order, unless authorized by the student or required by law.

Students can be confident that based on federal and state law, any information they submit on their college admission applications will not put themselves or their families at risk.

Directory information, which includes name, dates of attendance, and other factors can be considered public information. Students may request that the college restrict access to their directory information by contacting the Admissions and Records Office.

Right to Appeal

Any student who believes their residence determination is not consistent with the guidelines may make a written appeal to the Director of Admissions and Records, Kathy Rodriguez via email within 30 calendar days of notification of final decision by the college regarding classification.