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Undocumented Applicants

Application and Resource Guide for Undocumented Students at University of California, City (UC City)

The University of California, City (UC City) upholds the core value of educational equity and warmly welcomes undocumented students to submit their applications for admission. To protect the rights and interests of all students throughout the application and academic journey, and to ensure full access to necessary support, this guide details relevant resources, services, and policies, empowering every aspiring student to grow and thrive on campus.

Core Resources and Contact Channels

To facilitate systematic access to support for undocumented students, our university has established the "AB540 and Undocumented Student Resource Center" as the central platform for coordinating on-campus and community support resources. Students can visit the center’s official website to access application guides, lists of on-campus services, policy interpretations, and other specialized resources. For inquiries regarding campus adaptation, community integration, or resource connection, students may contact the center’s staff directly to receive one-on-one personalized consulting services.

Additionally, we recommend students visit the external high-quality resource aggregation platform (https://collegecampaign.org/cuhec_student_resources/). This platform integrates information on undocumented student support centers across California colleges and universities, details of specialized support programs, official website links, and contact information for undocumented allies/liaisons of the UC Opportunity Campaign, facilitating access to cross-campus resources. The accompanying "Undocumented Student Resource Campus Map" provides a visual overview of the distribution of physical support centers across campuses (campuses marked with stars have dedicated staff and exclusive service spaces; click on icons to view specific resource lists), helping students accurately locate needed resources.

Mission and Service Philosophy of the Resource Center

The AB540 and Undocumented Student Resource Center at UC City adheres to the mission of "taking educational equity as the cornerstone and empowering growth as the core." It is committed to providing comprehensive support for undocumented students, their families, and community members, helping them enhance policy awareness, clarify rights boundaries, and develop into leaders actively participating in campus and community development.

The center remains dedicated to policy popularization, raising public awareness of policy changes affecting California’s undocumented population through diverse channels. We deeply recognize that immigration status is only one dimension of a person’s identity and cannot define an individual’s abilities, values, or potential for development. Throughout the admission and student retention support process, the center advocates for a "holistic support model" that comprehensively considers multiple factors such as students’ mental state, emotional needs, and economic conditions, establishing a full-cycle and multi-dimensional support system.

Campus Service Rights and Policy Protection

All student affairs programs and services at our university are open to all students, strictly complying with California and federal laws and fully implementing the University of California’s anti-discrimination policies. Whether academic support, life service programs, or campus culture and community engagement activities, all adhere to the core principles of "accessible participation, inclusive coverage, and respect for diverse identities," safeguarding every student’s right to equal participation.

To help students gain a deeper understanding of the details of rights protection, official policy documents can be accessed through the following channels: visit the "Anti-Discrimination Statement" section on the UC official website, or refer to the "Special Chapter on Anti-Discrimination Policies" in the UC Student Rights Protection Manual. The information in this guide covers all students of our university, regardless of their college, major, or academic level.

Basic Needs and Mental Health Support

Our university fully recognizes the challenges undocumented students may face in meeting basic living needs during their college years. We have integrated resources from campus logistics and community partner organizations to establish a "Basic Needs Security List," covering specialized services such as accommodation assistance, meal subsidies, and living supplies application. Students can apply for and access these services through the Resource Center.

For the mental health challenges that some students may encounter, we want to emphasize: you are not alone. The University’s Mental Health Service Center has established an "Exclusive Consulting Channel" for undocumented students, providing confidential and professional psychological counseling services. Meanwhile, the center has established a mental health cooperation mechanism with the "UC City Center for Social Development Research," offering personalized mental health support plans for students in need to help them maintain a positive mental state for their studies.

Free Immigration Legal Services

UC City has established in-depth cooperation with the University of California Immigration Legal Services Center (UC Imm) to provide students with free and professional immigration legal support. Students can follow UC Imm’s official Instagram account to receive real-time updates on immigration policies, service notifications, and other dynamic information.

The following free legal services cover all UC City students and their immediate family members, with strict confidentiality throughout the service process:

· In-depth consultation and assessment on immigration-related legal matters, covering core issues such as identity verification and rights protection;

· Assistance with immigration applications and petitions, including DACA renewal, family-based petitions, naturalization, victim-based petitions, and applications for other eligible immigration benefits;

· Legal representation services, providing professional legal representation in immigration court proceedings or when engaging with immigration agencies (where applicable);

· Thematic training and popular science activities, regularly organizing immigration law workshops, policy interpretation lectures, and legal knowledge training for the campus and local communities;

· Inquiry responses and agency referrals, providing professional answers to complex immigration issues and connecting with qualified external legal institutions for extended support.

Educational Financing and Financial Support Programs

（A）Mainstream Financial Aid Application Channels

1.FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid): Eligible students may apply, including U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), approved asylees, and T visa holders. Among them, lawful permanent residents (LPR or "green card holders"), T visa holders, and approved asylees have the same application eligibility as U.S. citizens (those who obtained citizenship by birth or through naturalization). Note: After submitting an application, if a student transitions to FAFSA application status, they may be required to undergo a secondary eligibility verification process. It is recommended to consult the financial aid advisor at the Resource Center in advance for process guidance and document preparation support.

2.California Dream Act Application (CADAA): Open to undocumented immigrants, U visa holders, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, and students in the process of applying for asylum. Applicants must also meet AB540 eligibility requirements to receive state financial support. The AB540 eligibility criteria and application process can be found on the Resource Center’s official website or by consulting staff.

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B) Financial Support for Advanced Degree Education

Post-baccalaureate, graduate, and professional degree students who meet the corresponding eligibility criteria may apply for limited financial support through FAFSA or CADAA. To obtain accurate financial aid information, it is recommended to contact the following departments directly:

· Graduate Academic Financial Aid Office (responsible for general graduate financial aid programs);

· Financial Aid Office of the respective professional college (responsible for major-specific financial aid channels);

· Affiliated academic departments (responsible for research project funding, teaching/research assistant stipends, etc.).

Students should inquire about application requirements, funding amounts, and deadlines to fully explore financial aid opportunities.

Financial Information Sharing and Process Optimization

To enable the federal financial aid system to comprehensively evaluate an applicant’s past financial aid experience, personal financial information can be synchronized from the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) to the federal financial aid portal hosting FAFSA. This process must be handled by the financial aid officer of the admitting institution using Form G-55, which can be downloaded from the CSAC official website. It is recommended that students complete the information synchronization under the guidance of a financial aid advisor to ensure compliance and efficiency.

Special Reminders

UC City’s financial aid application follows the principle of "eligibility priority and dynamic assessment." It is recommended that students prepare application materials early and submit them before the deadline. For inquiries regarding application eligibility, document preparation, or process progress, students may contact the financial aid advisor at the AB540 and Undocumented Student Resource Center at any time to receive one-on-one guidance.

The University of California, City (UC City) firmly believes that immigration status should not be a barrier to pursuing educational dreams. We are committed to providing comprehensive resource support and rights protection to help every undocumented student study with peace of mind and achieve all-round development on campus. For any inquiries, please feel free to contact us through the official channels of the Resource Center.