Admissions

Undocumented and Dreamer Students

Dreamer students may be undocumented students, students who are US citizens but who are not CA residents, or dependent students whose parents are not CA residents, who have:

  • Attended a California high school for three years or more and graduated from a California high school or
  • Attained credits earned in California for three years or more equivalent to full-time high school course work and earned a GED or California High School Proficiency Examination or
  • Attended a combination of elementary, middle, and/or high schools in California for a total of three years or more and graduated from a California high school or earned a GED or California School Proficiency Examination
  • Will register or enroll in an accredited and qualifying California college or university, AND
  • Do not hold a valid non-immigrant visa (F, J, H, L, A, B, C, D, E, etc.). If you have Temporary Protected Status or hold a U Visa you may be eligible for the California Dream Act.

* If your residency is in question, information on how residency is determined can be found on Determining CA State Residency.

What is AB540?

Assembly Bill (AB) 540 is a California state law that allows undocumented students and non-resident students, who meet all of the following requirements, to pay in-state tuition fees.

What are the requirements for admission?

Freshmen:

  • High School graduate with an eligibility index of at least 2900 using SAT or 694 using ACT, nonresidents must have 3502 based on the SAT or 842 using ACT.
  • Completed A-G requirements with grades of C or better
  • 2.0 GPA or higher to qualify for regular admissions (for California residents). Nonresidents must have a 2.45 GPA or higher to qualify for regular admission.

Transfers:

  • 60 or more semester credits (90 quarter units) of transferable courses. At least 30 semester units ( 45 quarter units) of general education courses with a grade of C or better.
  • Complete the "Golden Four" coursework with a C or better.
  • Be in good standing at your last college and have a minimum 2.00 GPA.

A complete outline of all Freshmen and Transfer requirements can be found on our Admissions Requirements webpage.

Due to the continued increase in applications, Cal State Monterey Bay declared impaction for some majors beginning Fall 2017. First time freshmen applying to impacted majors from outside our service area (Monterey, San Benito & Santa Cruz counties) must meet higher eligibility index requirements. Transfer applicants (All California counties) applying to impacted majors must meet a higher GPA requirement and prerequisite coursework may be used when determining admissions eligibility for the following majors. Detailed information on impaction criteria can be found on our Impaction page.

What Financial Aid can a Dreamer apply for?

  • Cal Grant, Chafee Grant, Middle Class Scholarship
  • State University Grants
  • EOP/EOPS
  • Some private scholarships administered by campuses

Helpful Resources