How to apply to graduate school as an undocumented student

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules differ by school. Confirm everything with each program's admissions and financial aid office.

Can I go to graduate school if I am undocumented?

Yes, you can apply. Each graduate and professional school sets its own admission rules, so ask each one. University of California graduate divisions publish guides just for undocumented admitted students, with and without DACA.

Your status does affect how you pay, whether you can take paid campus jobs, and what you can do after you graduate. Plan for all three before you apply.

How do I choose where to apply?

Think about money and support as much as rankings.

• Public schools in California may let you pay in state tuition under AB 540. That can save you a great deal each year.
• Private schools set their own aid rules. Some fund undocumented students fully. Others do not. Ask.
• Schools outside California follow their own state's tuition and aid rules, which can be very different. Travel and living there may also carry different risks. See Is it safe to travel inside the United States without papers?
• Funded programs. Some programs pay tuition plus a stipend. But a stipend tied to teaching or research is often a job, and that needs work authorization. Ask how the funding is paid.
• Support on campus. Look for an undocumented student center and staff who know graduate students. See Dream Centers and undocumented student programs.

Questions to ask each program:

1. Do you admit undocumented students, with and without DACA?
2. What funding can an undocumented student receive here?
3. Is your funding package paid as a fellowship or as a job?
4. Do you have staff who work with undocumented graduate students?
5. Have undocumented students finished this program?

What goes in a graduate school application?

Most applications ask for the same pieces. Start six to twelve months before the deadline.

• Tests. Some programs want the GRE. Law schools use the LSAT or GRE. Medical schools use the MCAT. Business schools may use the GMAT. Check whether your programs require a test at all. TheDream.US offers free test prep through Kaplan to its scholars and alumni.
• Statement of purpose. Why this field, why this program, and what you want to do. You decide whether to share your immigration story. You are never required to.
• Letters of recommendation. Usually two or three. Ask professors or supervisors at least six weeks ahead, and give them your resume and statement.
• Transcripts and GPA from every college you attended
• Resume or CV
• Application fee. Ask each program whether it offers a fee waiver.

Most applications ask about citizenship. Answer truthfully. If a form forces a choice that does not fit you, contact the admissions office and ask how undocumented applicants should answer. Never claim to be a U.S. citizen.

Will I pay in state tuition?

At the University of California, you may qualify for the AB 540 nonresident tuition exemption. If you get it, you pay in state tuition and fees instead of the extra charge for nonresidents. UC's graduate guides apply it to graduate students.

You must meet all three parts:

1. Time in California schools: three full time years, or the equivalent, at California high schools, adult schools or community colleges (up to two years of community college can count). Or three years of California high school coursework plus three years at California elementary or secondary schools.
2. A degree or the equal: graduation from a California high school or the equivalent, an associate degree from a California community college, or meeting the transfer requirements from a California community college to UC or CSU.
3. A signed exemption request, stating you meet the rules and, if you are undocumented, that you will apply to fix your status as soon as you are eligible.

People with most nonimmigrant visas do not qualify. DACA alone does not qualify you; you must meet the three parts above.

How to apply at UC: after you accept an offer, turn in your Statement of Legal Residence. If you are classified as a nonresident, the campus asks you to complete the AB 540 request. Have your California school transcripts and proof of high school graduation ready. You do not reapply each year as long as you stay continuously enrolled in the same program.

At CSU, the state law behind AB 540 (Education Code 68130.5) has no undergraduate limit, so it can cover graduate students too. Ask the campus residence office for its form. Private schools do not use AB 540. They set one tuition and their own aid rules.

Is AB 540 safe right now? The federal government sued California in November 2025 over AB 540 and Dream Act aid (United States v. Newsom). As of October 21, 2026, the court docket copy (entries through April 1, 2026) and the Presidents' Alliance case tracker (updated October 5, 2026) show no order stopping AB 540 or Dream Act aid. Before you enroll, check the tracker and ask your school's Dream Center if anything has changed.

The full AB 540 rules are on In state tuition for undocumented students.

How do I pay?

Federal aid is closed. Undocumented students cannot get federal aid or use the FAFSA. California built the CA Dream Act Application (CADAA) instead.

State and school aid. Fill out the CA Dream Act Application every year you are in school. UC San Diego says undocumented graduate students with AB 540 status can receive all UC financial aid, including private scholarships and fellowships donated to and run by UC, and can use the CADAA to reach state and school loans. UCLA says AB 540 graduate students may apply for a California Dream Act loan. State law sets the graduate Dream Loan limit at $20,500 a year and $118,500 in total (Education Code 70034).

Your program. Departments often have their own fellowships and grants. Ask early.

Fellowships and scholarships. Some are open to undocumented students, and some require DACA. Read every rule before you apply. Immigrants Rising keeps a list of graduate scholarships. See also Scholarships.

• Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans. For immigrants and children of immigrants, 30 or younger, starting or continuing a full time graduate degree in the United States. If you were born abroad and do not fit its other categories, you must have graduated from both high school and college in the United States. The fellowship says current and past DACA recipients are included. The 2027 application is due October 29, 2026, at 2 p.m. Eastern.

Loans. Private loans must be repaid, often starting soon after you graduate. Read every term.

• The Dreamers Graduate Loan Program run by Social Finance has no fees, no cosigner and no minimum credit score. It is open only to past undergraduate scholars of TheDream.US, Golden Doors Scholars or Equal Chance for Education who have active DACA or TPS, a Social Security number, and live in an eligible state. The interest form for 2026 to 2027 closed September 30, 2026. Watch for next year.

How do I pay without DACA?

You have fewer options, but you have options.

• AB 540 and the CA Dream Act Application do not require DACA. If you meet the AB 540 rules, apply.
• Private funding. UCLA says undocumented graduate students without AB 540 or DACA can still receive money from department gifts, endowed funds and private funds with no citizenship rules.
• Fellowships that are not jobs. UC San Diego tells students without work authorization to ask its undocumented student office about "inclusive fellowships." Ask every school whether it has something similar.
• Your own business. Some students earn as independent contractors. Learn the rules first on How to earn money working for yourself.

Can I work while in graduate school?

With DACA: yes. UC campuses say DACA recipients can work as teaching assistants, graduate student researchers and in other campus jobs. UC San Diego adds that a DACA recipient who does not qualify for AB 540 can still be employed by UC. Keep your DACA current. Renew 120 to 150 days before it ends, and remember DACA work permits get no automatic extension. See How to renew your DACA step by step.

Without work authorization: you cannot take paid campus jobs like teaching or research assistant positions. Ask about fellowships and private funding instead.

Can I get licensed after I graduate?

Often yes, in California.

• Law. California law lets the state Supreme Court admit a qualified applicant who is not lawfully present in the United States as an attorney.
• Many other careers. California law says boards in the Department of Consumer Affairs may not deny a professional license because of immigration status. See Professional licenses without a Social Security number.

Being licensed and being hired are different. Without work authorization, you may need to work for yourself. Plan for that path while you are still in school. See What you can do after college without a work permit.

What mistakes should I avoid?

• Not asking about money until after you are admitted. Ask before you apply.
• Accepting a "funded" offer without asking whether the funding is a job
• Skipping the CA Dream Act Application because you think graduate students cannot apply
• Letting DACA lapse in the middle of a paid position
• Taking a private loan without reading the repayment terms
• Using a lawyer or notary you do not trust for any immigration step. See Warning signs of an immigration scam.

Who can help?

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

• Your campus undocumented student center, including its legal services if it has them
• California Student Aid Commission: free Cash for College workshops and CA Dream Act help. Undocumented Students (CSAC)
• TheDream.US: graduate school guides, loan lists and test prep for its scholars. Graduate School Resources (TheDream.US)
• Immigrants Rising: guides on graduate school, law school and earning a living. Immigrants Rising
• Free immigration legal help: see Free legal help in the Bay Area.

Is there a planner I can print?

You have already done something hard by finishing college. Graduate school is the next door, and people with your story have walked through it.