Can I get lower tuition?

This is general information, not legal advice.

Do I already qualify for AB 540?

Check this first. AB 540 (Education Code 68130.5) lets you pay the resident price, whatever your immigration status. It used to require three years of California high school. Now three full time years, or the same amount part time, at a California high school, adult school or community college, in any mix, can count. You also need a diploma or equivalent, an associate degree, or the minimum classes to transfer to UC or CSU.

If you meet it, nonresident tuition goes away. You may also get state aid through the CA Dream Act.

Are any classes free?

Yes, at many community colleges. Noncredit classes, like English as a second language, basic skills and short job training, are often free. For example, Foothill College says its noncredit classes have no fees and need no proof of residency. Ask your college what it offers.

Here is the bonus. Noncredit hours count toward AB 540. 420 class hours is one full time year (Community Colleges Chancellor's Office). So free classes today can lead to in state tuition later.

I am still in high school or adult school

You may pay no nonresident tuition at all.

• High school students who take community college classes as "special part time" students (often called dual enrollment) are exempt from nonresident tuition by state law (Education Code 76140(a)(4)). Students on student, visitor and similar temporary visas are left out.
• Adult school students working on a high school diploma or equivalency can also be admitted as special part time students, under a 2019 law (SB 554). That law added Education Code 52620, and Education Code 76001 now lets colleges admit students under it. The tuition law exempts special part time students admitted under 76001 from all nonresident tuition. So adult school students admitted this way should not pay it. If a bill says otherwise, ask admissions to look at Education Code 76140(a)(4).
• Special part time students can take up to 11 units a semester.

Talk to your high school counselor or adult school office. They usually start the form.

Can I take a lighter load for less?

Maybe. State law lets a community college district give a tuition break to all nonresidents who take six units or fewer (Education Code 76140(a)(1)). It is the district's choice, and it applies to everyone in that group, not person by person. We did not check which Bay Area districts use it. Ask admissions: "Does this district exempt nonresidents taking six units or fewer?"

Other exemptions

The law has a few narrow ones. You may qualify if:

• You are a recent immigrant, refugee or asylee who settled in California less than a year ago, taking credit English as a second language classes. The exemption covers those classes only.
• You are a U.S. citizen who grew up here, went to a California high school for at least three years, and had to leave because a parent was deported or left the country. You also need financial need and a plan to live in California.

Some statuses, like DACA, TPS, asylum and U or T visas, can also lead to full California residency at UC and CSU over time. Ask the residence office.

How big is the difference?

At the in state price, community college costs $46 a unit. At Cañada College in San Mateo County, a nonresident pays $385 a unit in tuition, a $10 a unit capital outlay fee and the same $46 enrollment fee, or $441 a unit for 2026 to 2027 (Cañada College fees). Other colleges set their own nonresident rates.

Example (fictional, to show the math): Rosa takes 12 units in one semester at Cañada.

• As a nonresident: 12 x $441 = $5,292.
• With AB 540 or another exemption: 12 x $46 = $552, and the California College Promise Grant may cover even that.

That is a difference of $4,740 in one semester. If Rosa is not AB 540 eligible yet, she could take free noncredit classes or a lighter load while she builds her years, then switch once she qualifies.

What if I was charged by mistake?

Act before the payment deadline.

1. Check your status in the student portal. Look for "nonresident" or "out of state."
2. Ask admissions which form you need. If you qualify for AB 540, sign the affidavit in your CA Dream Act Application or on the college's own form.
3. Bring proof: transcripts that show your California school years, and your diploma or equivalency.
4. Ask about the deadline. Each college sets its own date for the term. If you miss it, the exemption may start only next term.
5. Get it in writing. Ask for an email that says your status was changed.

What else lowers the cost?

• Scholarships. Many are open whatever your status. See Scholarships.
• State aid once you meet AB 540. See Paying for college.
• Building your years. Partial years add up, and they do not have to be in a row. Keep track with How do I track my years of school for in state tuition?

Who can help?

Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

• Your college's Dream Center or Dreamer Resource Liaison. Every community college and CSU campus must have one.
• Your adult school or high school counselor.
• California Student Aid Commission: (888) 224-7268, studentsupport@csac.ca.gov.

Related questions

• Who qualifies for in state tuition in California?
• Who qualifies for in state tuition in California (AB 540)
• Can I still go to college in California as an undocumented student?

Every class you take now is a step forward. Start where you are.