California School Attendance

AB 540 Nonresident Tuition Exemption 

Under California law AB 540, certain nonresident students are exempt from paying nonresident supplemental tuition. If you are granted an AB 540 exemption, you will be charged in-state tuition and fees, and not the supplemental tuition charged to nonresidents.

Who is Eligible?

Students (including undocumented students) who, for various reasons, are classified as nonresidents may be eligible. You must meet all three of the following requirements to be eligible:

  1. Time and Coursework Requirements

Either:

Attendance for three full-time years or the equivalent at any combination of the following:

  • California high school
  • California adult school (including non-credit courses offered by a California community college)
  • California community college (maximum of two years of credit-bearing courses can count toward this requirement)

Or:

Three years of California high school coursework and three years of total attendance at a California elementary school, California secondary school, or any combination of the two.

  1. Degree or Unit Requirements

Meet one of the following requirements:

  • Graduation from a California high school (or attainment of the equivalent)
  • Attainment of an associate’s degree from a California community college
  • Fulfillment of minimum transfer requirements from a California community college to a UC or CSU campus
  1. Signed Nonresident Exemption Request

You also must have signed the California Nonresident Exemption Request, which states that you meet all the requirements to qualify for AB 540 status and, if you are undocumented, are in the process of adjusting your immigration status (or will do so as soon as you are eligible).

Who’s Not Eligible:

  • Students in possession of nonimmigrant visas (including, but not limited to any of the following visas: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T*, TN/TD, TWOV, U*, and NATO) are not eligible for this exemption.
    • *Except for holders of T and U visas: UC Law SF policy permits T and U visa holders with approved I-485 applications who meet the requirements described above to be exempt from nonresident supplemental tuition until they are eligible to establish California residency according to UC policy.
    • DACA students who do not meet the AB 540 tuition requirements, listed above, will not be eligible for the exemption.