MALDEF
Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund
College Outreach Campaign
Education At Your Reach! Educación a tu alcanze!
Celebrating 35 years of MALDEF

MALDEF is a national organization whose mission is to
promote and protect the civil rights of Latinos, through
advocacy, leadership development, community education, and
when necessary, through litigation.

In the last three decades the Mexican American Legal Defense and
Educational Fund (MALDEF) has worked diligently to protect and
promote the civil rights of Latinos in the following five areas:
» Education
» Employment
» Immigration
» Political Access, and
» Public Resource Equity
Latinos Today…
» Nationwide, the 2000 Census counted 40 million Latinos.
» Each year between 65,000 and 80,000 undocumented students
graduate from high schools in the US.
In California...
» Close to 11 million Latinos reside in California, making it the
highest Latino populated state in the U.S.
» 41.6% of California’s future generation of leaders between the
ages of 15-24 will be Latino.
» An estimated 5,000-8,000 undocumented Latino immigrants
between the ages of 14-20 reside in California.
Source: US Census & CA Department of Education
4 Systems of Public Higher Education in California
* Community Colleges (ELAC, SMC, PCC)
Must be 18 or a have a high school diploma or GED to enroll & attend
** California State University (CSU)
(Fresno State, Cal State LA, CSUN, San José State University)
*** University of California (UC)
(UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara)
**** Private Universities
(Stanford, Loyola Marymount University, Fresno Pacific University)
A-G Minimum Admissions Requirements for CSU/UC and Privates
A-G Minimum Admissions Requirements
for CSU/UC
HONORS and ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) classes are recommended
A) 4 years of English
B) 3 years of College Level Math (starting with Algebra)
C) 3 years of Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics)
D) 2 years of Social Sciences (Geography, Government, Economics)
E) 2 years of Foreign Language (same language)
F) 2 years of visual and performing arts (Drama, Art, Photography)
G) 1 year of college preparatory electives
The Road to College Begins in
Kindergarten
Family Savings -- Read to Succeed -- Parent Involvement
Important Dates for the UNIVERSITY APPLICATION
The Student should:
11th Grade-
*Take the PSAT in October
*Schedule monthly appointments with their counselor
*Register for the SAT in June
12th Grade-
*September/October: Take the SAT exam
*October/November: Fill out the college applications and
write their personal statement
*November 30th: EVERYONE should have completed
and sent out their college applications
*January: Fill out the FAFSA application and look for
scholarships
*April: Receive your acceptance letters from the universities!!!
State and Federal Financial Aid
FAFSA deadline March 2nd of every year
To qualify: Must be a legal resident or citizen and fill out the FAFSA
application which includes parent’s tax information, assets, and
other investments
Scholarships: FREE money! Thousands of scholarships are given out each
year. Requirements vary from good GPA to sports interests, first-generation
college student or essay contests.
Grants: FREE money! Mostly based on good GPA (3.2+)
Loans: Low interest loans for students and/or parents. Ability to defer,
however all students are allowed 6 months after time of graduation before
paying back loans
www.fastweb.com
www.scholarshipsforhispanics.org
www.hsf.net
Promoting Higher Education for
All California Students!
New California Law:
Qualified
undocumented
students are now
eligible to pay in-state
tuition fees at
California’s colleges
and universities.
Important Rulings Leading up to AB 540
1982: Plyler vs. Doe

U.S. Supreme Court decision ruling that all students including undocumented students have the right
to a free, public school education from K-12 grade in the U.S.
1986: Leticia A. vs. the UC Regents and CSU Board of Trustees


Required the UC and CSU to cease the discriminatory practice of requiring proof of US
citizenship/permanent residency when defining state residency for tuition purposes
Between 1986-1991 in the UC and 1986-1995 at the CSU, students who met state residency
requirements were able to receive state financial aid and were charged resident tuition fees
1991: Bradford vs. the UC Regents


Bradford claims that the University policy resulting from the Leticia A. case is in direct violation with
federal responsibility to make laws regulating immigration
Bradford wins his case and as a result undocumented students lose the right to receive state resident
tuition and financial aid
1996: “Illegal” Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act


Prohibits immigrant students from accessing any postsecondary education benefit unless a U.S. citizen
or national is eligible for the same benefit
Any state that provided in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants must also provide in-state tuition
to out-of-state residents
Assembly Bill 540:

June 2001, Texas governor signs HB 1403 which enables
immigrant students to qualify as state residents for in-state
tuition and financial aid.

In October 2001, Governor Gray Davis signs AB 540,
authored by Marco Antonio Firebaugh (Southeast LA
Couny State Assemblymemer) which allowed students who
attended a California high school and graduated from a
California high school to be exempt from paying out-of-state
tuition.

Undocumented students in Texas and California are eligible
for this exemption because the law is not based on residency,
rather on high school attendance.
Cost Difference
at California Colleges & Universities
California Community College:
$26/unit (in-state)
$170 (out-of-state)
California State University:
$2,860/year
$12,946/year
University of California:
$5,530/year
$19,740/year
Requirements for AB 540:
» Attend a California High School for 3 or more years;
- continuation schools, charter high schools, private schools, and adult
education programs may be acceptable (ask your counselor)
- there is no time limit on how far in the past the student might have
attained this status
» Graduate from a California high school or receive the equivalent
(GED);
» Register or be currently enrolled at an accredited public
institution of higher education in California;
» Sign a statement with the college or university (NOT with INS)
stating that he/she will apply for legal residency with the
INS as soon as he/she is able to do so.
Educational Rights and Privacy Act
for ALL Students
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 is a
federal law regarding the privacy of student records and the
obligations of the institution, primarily in the areas of release of the
records and the access provided to these records.

The information that a student shares with a college or
university is protected by federal law.
Students must sign an affidavit in order to qualify for AB 540
relief but the school cannot legally share this information with third
parties especially the Department of Immigration and Naturalization

Non-Immigrant Students
Visa Holders
Students who are “non-immigrant aliens”
(F series student visas or B series visitor
visa), are not eligible for this exemption.


If a student has an expired visa and is now
consequently “out of status”, he/she will be
eligible for in-state tuition fees if they meet
the law’s requirements.
Financial Aid



AB 540 does not provide financial aid to undocumented
students nor does any other law.
Students who need financial assistance should look for
scholarships that do not require legal permanent
residency or U.S. Citizenship.
If a student filed an application with INS to legalize status,
the student may already be eligible for resident fee status
and may be eligible to receive state financial aid. (Consult
your immigration attorney about your eligibility status).
www.maldef.org
Legal Residency


AB 540 DOES NOT ESTABLISH legal
residency for immigrant students.
AB 540 permits that the California resident
tuition also apply to undocumented students
who meet the AB 540 requirements.
Important Points about
Immigration:

AB 540 does not establish legal residency for undocumented
students eligible for in-state tuition.

Undocumented students who have questions about their
legal residency should consult an immigration attorney.

A student with a valid visa does not qualify for in-statetutiton fees under AB 540.

Making false statements about your immigration status
creates serious problems. If you have made such statements,
consult with an immigration attorney immediately.
DREAM Act:
Development, Relief, and Education for “Alien” Minors Act
&
Student Adjustment Act
(2003-2004)

IF SIGNED INTO LAW: Would grant qualified* immigrant
students the opportunity to obtain legal status and thus enable them
to pursue higher education and contribute fully to the nation.
* Requirements to Qualify
– Student MUST have lived in the U.S. for five years or more
– Student MUST be a high school graduate
– Student MUST have “good moral” conduct
– Student MUST attend a minimum of 2 years of college
Write to or call your Senators and
Local Representatives
Senator Barbara Boxer
112 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-3553
www.boxer.senate.gov/contact
Senator Diane Feinstein
112 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-3841
www.feinstein.senate.gov/email.htlm
Por Internet: www.senate.gov o www.house.gov
Pueden llamar al 411 y pedir información sobre su representante local
Youth Advocates in Action
CHIRLA: WISE UP
2533 West of Third Street, Suite 101
Los Angeles, CA 90057
General Line: (213) 353-1333 wiseup_la@yahoo.com * www.chirla.org
PULS: People United for the Legalization of Students
National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
310 8th Street, Suite 303
Oakland, CA 94607
(510) 465-1984 Fax: (510) 465-1885 nnirr@nnirr.org
Grupo estudiantil de Fresno City College & Fresno State University
Leonel Flores, Centro de derechos para inmigrantes y trabajadores
280 North Van Ness Avenue
Fresno, CA 93701
(559) 443-1317 sjvcoalition@aol.com