AB 540 What?

How can undocumented students go to college? That's just crazy!
For many people out there who are unfamiliar with California's Assembly Bill 540, this is a quick overview of the law. Take it as a tool to educate others about it.
From now on, when I refer to undocumented student on this blog, I will refer to them as AB 540 students.
You see, this bill has made it possible for thousands of students who graduate from high school every year to achieve a higher education in California. For many years, these students thought that college was just out of the question. Many of these bright students were losing the opportunity to continue a higher education after high school and this country was losing on some of the smartest students they could have asked for.
As you may have read in the last post, students like Iris, who came here at a very young age, didn't get a say when she migrated North from Mexico with her parents. Many of these students didn't find out about their status until they were about to graduate from high school.

Give me the details please!
The following information was taken from MALDEF's website. MALDEF, which stands for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, is one of the biggest organizations that has spread the word about AB 540 students.
In order to qualify to be an AB 540 student:
-He or she must have attended a California high school for three or more years.
-They must have actually graduated from the high school or receive the equivalent general education diploma (that famous GED).
-Once a high school graduate, the student must be enrolled in a California Community College, California State University (go Beach!) or a University Of California.
-The most important part of the process to officially become an AB 540 student is that they must sign a statement (affidavit) with the school and let them know that they plan to apply for legal residency as soon as a law permits them to (immigration reform anyone?).

So there you have it. This is a quick tutorial on how to become an AB 540 student and who qualifies for it. If you must read the actual document wording that confuses the crap out of me, please feel free to do so by clicking here and scroll down where it says AB 540 In Writing.