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    The Dream Act and DACA

    Hours and Contact

    Regular Hours
    Monday – Friday: 8 am – 4:30pm

    Financial Aid Contact Information

    coafinancialaid@peralta.edu
    510-748-2391

    Dream Act / AB 540

    The California Dream Act is a program based on Assembly Bill 540 (AB 540) that allows certain students who don't have lawful immigration status to receive state financial aid and qualify for in-state tuition. To qualify, you must have attended a California high school for at least three years and graduated or earned a GED. Eligible students can then apply for aid, such as grants and fee waivers, by completing the California Dream Act Application (CADAA). 
     
    AB 540 is a California law (Assembly Bill 540) that allows certain nonresident students, including undocumented students, to pay in-state tuition rates at California’s public colleges and universities (UC, CSU, and Community Colleges) if they meet specific requirements.

    Who Can Apply

    • Ineligible for Federal Financial Aid
    • Undocumented Students
    • With or Without DACA
    • TPS Status
    • U Visa Holder
    Eligibility for Dream Act / AB 540
    Requirements: 1 or 2 AND 3
    1. Must attend three years full-time at a CA High School, Adult School, or Community college
    2. Three years of High School credits and three years of full-time at elementary and secondary school.
    AND
     
       3   Must graduate from a California High School, attain a GED or CHSPE, Associate Degree or minimum transfer requirements to a CSU or UC.
     
    Allows AB 540-eligible students to apply for a variety of state aid and institutional scholarships, providing access to state financial aid (Cal Grants, institutional aid, scholarships, etc.), making higher education more accessible.

    DACA

    DACA provides protection from removal for a period of two years, subject to renewal, and also allows individuals to apply for work authorization. At this time, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) continues to accept initial DACA requests; however, new requests are not currently being processed. Existing DACA approvals and related Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) remain valid until their expiration date, unless they are individually terminated.

    Eligibility for DACA
    To be considered for DACA, individuals must meet all of the following requirements:
    • Age Requirement: Were under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012 (born on or after June 16, 1981).

    • Entry Requirement: Came to the United States before reaching their 16th birthday.

    • Continuous Residence: Have lived in the United States continuously since June 15, 2007, up to the time of filing.

    • Physical Presence: Were physically present in the United States on June 15, 2012, and at the time of filing a request with USCIS.

    • Immigration Status: Had no lawful immigration status on June 15, 2012, and at the time of filing. This means:

      • They never held lawful status before June 15, 2012, OR

      • Any lawful status or parole they previously held had expired on or before June 15, 2012, and

      • Any lawful status after June 15, 2012, had expired or otherwise terminated before filing a request.

    • Education or Military Service: Are currently in school, have graduated or obtained a certificate of completion from high school, have earned a General Educational Development (GED) certificate, or are an honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard or U.S. Armed Forces.

    • Criminal Record: Have not been convicted of a felony, certain significant misdemeanors (as defined in 8 CFR 236.22(b)(6)), or three or more other misdemeanors, and do not pose a threat to national security or public safety.

    Steps to Apply for Financial Aid

    Step One

    Filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form can be a straightforward and easy process. Here are some tips to help you along the way.

    College of Alameda Federal School Code For Financial Aid: 006720 

    • Make sure to include the PCCD Federal School Code and provide accurate income information.
    • When completing your FAFSA, use the IRS Data Retrieval process to complete your FAFSA to ensure accurate information and to shorten the verification process with our office later.
    • Electronically sign your FAFSA by using your FSA ID

    *They will require spouse information if married and parents’ information if you are considered a dependent in accordance to the Department of Education guidelines.

    FAFSA Form

    Step Two

    Your application will be processed and you will receive an e-mail with a link to your Student Aid Report (SAR).

    You should review your SAR for any necessary corrections or updates. If you do not hear from the U.S. Department of Education Federal Processing, go to http://www.fafsa.ed.gov

    There may be required forms and/or documents that you and/or your parent(s) need to fill out.  These forms can be picked up at the Financial Aid Office or can be downloaded from the Financial Aid Forms webpage. Please check your Student Center to-do list to see what forms and/or document(s) you need to submit.

    Be prepared to submit a photocopy of the following documents:

    • Academic Transcripts (from other Colleges attended)
    • Social security Card
    • Driver's License or California ID
    • High School Diploma/GED or ability to Benefit results
    • Verification Worksheet
    • IRS tax transcripts  and IRS W2 for students and parents (*if dependent)
    • Citizenship eligibility
    Step Three

    Once you have submitted your forms, the Financial Aid Office will review your case and determine your eligibility.

    College of Alameda's Financial Aid department will contact you once your file has been reviewed. We will be contacting you via your Peralta e-mail account and/or your phone number listed on your Student Center.

    Please activate and check your Peralta e-mail account.

    Step Four

    Login to Campus Solutions and go to your Student Center for the most updated information on your financial aid award.

    Additional Financial Aid Information

    Financial Aid Deadlines

    Financial Aid Application Procedures and Deadlines for Students

    To be considered for financial aid, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the renewal application at www.fafsa.gov. These applications are usually available beginning in January for the following academic year. If a student is interested in a State of California Cal-Grant, the FAFSA and a GPA verification form must be completed. It is important that California Community College students apply by the March 2nd Deadline or the September 2nd Deadline for the Cal-Grants.  Additional information and eligibility requirements are available at the Financial Aid Office.  By filing a complete application with all required documentation, students will have priority in the awarding of Federal Work-Study and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants if eligible, based on the submission date.

    The information reported on the FAFSA may be verified by the Financial Aid Office using the parent’s and/or the student’s Internal Revenue Service tax transcript.

    Students must be able to provide a copy of their Social Security Card, Alien Registration Card (if applicable), and Photo ID for identification purposes.

    IMPORTANT Deadlines:

    • Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) apply by April 1*
    • Federal Work Student (FWS) apply by April 1 *
    • California Dream Act apply by March 2
    • Cal Grant Competitive and Entitlement apply by March 2 or Cal Grant Competitive only by September 2
    • Pell Grant and Direct Loans – These funds are not limited, you can apply at any time through the Spring term of the award year.  The absolute deadline for filing a FAFSA for Pell Grant for the 2024-2025 award year is June 30, 2025.

    *  SEOG and FWS funds are limited and may be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis.

    For your application to be processed in a timely manner, all required documents must be submitted to the Financial Aid Office by June 30, 2025.  Due to the 2024-2025 year-end closure, all financial aid supplemental paperwork must be submitted to the financial aid office by July 15, 2025. Late submissions will not be accepted.

    How to submit Financial Aid Documents

    Login to your Campus Solutions account and complete the required Financial Aid e-Forms.

    OR

    Via Email: coafinancialaid@peralta.edu

    Please ensure that your PCCD student ID number is present on the top left-hand corner of each page of your document(s). To avoid processing delays, please ensure that your document(s) are legible, if you are submitting a photo of your document(s), all four corners of the page must be present. From the time we receive all requested documents/information, please allow 4-6 weeks for your financial aid specialist to process your file to determine your aid eligibility. During this time, it is highly imperative that you monitor both your Campus Solutions account and PCCD email for updates from your specialist if additional information/documentation is required.

    The FSA ID

    The FSA ID is a username and password combination you use to log in to U.S. Department of Education (ED) online systems. The FSA ID is your legal signature and shouldn’t be created or used by anyone other than you—not even your parent, your child, a school official, or a loan company representative. You’ll use your FSA ID every year you fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form and for the lifetime of your federal student loans.

    All students who have filed or will file for Federal Financial Aid must create a FSA ID

    **FOR Dependent Students – A Parent must also file for a FSA ID **

    • Step 1 :  When logging into FAFSA.gov or StudentLoans.gov, click the link to create an FSA ID.
    • Step 2:  Create a username and password, and enter your e-mail address.
    • Step 3:  Enter your name, date of birth, Social Security number, contact information, and challenge questions and answers.
    • Step 4:  If you have a Federal Student Aid PIN, you will be able to enter it and link it to your FSA ID.  You can still create an FSA ID if you have forgotten or do not have a PIN.
    • Step 5:  Review you information, and read and accept the terms and conditions.
    • Step 6:  Confirm you e-mail address using the secure code, which will be sent to the e-mail address you entered when you created your FSA ID. Once you verify your e-mail address, you can use your FSA ID username and password to log in to the websites.
    Research Reports & Data
    Files located in One Drive Here
    • AB705 Update – Fall 2020
    • AB705 Math Report – Spring 19
    • AB 705 Placement Recommendations -Spring 19
    • AB705 Guided Self Placement Questionnaire
    • College Navigator link – College of Alameda
      • College Navigator consists primarily of the latest data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the core postsecondary education data collection program for NCES – the National Center for Education Statistics.
    • Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) presentation for College Council Oct 25 2017
    • Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) 2017 Key Findings
    • CoA CTE Employment Outcomes Survey (CTEOS) 2019
    • CoA CTE Employment Outcomes Survey (CTEOS) 2018
    • CoA CTE Employment Outcomes Survey (CTEOS) 2017
    • CoA Disproportionate Impact Analysis – April 2019
    • CoA Employee Voice Survey Results 2018
    • CoA Employee Voice Survey Results 2017
    • CoA Fact Sheet – 2016
    • CoA Fact Book 2016
    • CoA Financial Aid Hands-On Workshop Survey Outcome Fall 19
    • CoA Gainful Employment Data
    • CoA LRC SLO Survey and Results 2016
    • CoA Math 13 Statistics – 2018 Analysis
    • CoA Participatory Governance Survey Nov 2017 key findings
    • CoA Spring 2020 Demographic Snapshot
    • CoA Transfer Data 2003-2013
    • CCC Scorecard Report – College of Alameda
    • CCC Student Success Metrics Dashboard
    • CSU Transfers from California Community Colleges
    • HSI Focus Group Notes Spring 2019
    • US Dept. of Education – College Scorecard
    • Student-Right-To-Know
    Useful Links

    Majors at College of Alameda Eligible for Financial Aid

    To be considered for financial aid you must be enrolled in an eligible program at College of Alameda and be a regular student working toward a degree, certificate or degree/transfer to a four-year institution.  To view a list of eligible majors for Financial Aid at College of Alameda, click the link below.

    Financial Aid Eligible Majors College of Alameda

    Financial Aid Home College

    The Financial Aid home college is the Peralta school of record at which you plan to complete degree, certificate or degree/transfer requirements is your home college for Financial Aid purposes. For example, if you have indicated a declared major of “Apparel Design & Merchandising” at College of Alameda, you must apply through FAFSA or CA Dream Act, list 006720 FAFSA School code and submit all Financial Aid documents to the College of Alameda Financial Aid Office