Admissions Process

If you are a high school or transfer student, you can apply to the California State University through Cal State Apply​.

To apply to the CSU, you should:

1. Select a CSU campus to attend.
2. Apply for admission during the priority filing period (October 1 - November 30) by filling out the CSU application at Cal State Apply​.
3. ​Research how you will pay for college. If you’re seeking the Nonresident Tuition Exemption commonly known as AB 540, you will follow the same admission process as any other student. If you are granted an exemption, you will be charged in-state tuition and fees.

Things to Consider When Filling Out Your Application to the CSU

1. ​Social Security number. The application will ask you to enter your Social Security number (SSN). If you have qualified for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and have been issued a SSN, you are required to enter that number on your application.
   • If you do not have a SSN, you can leave that item blank on the application and the campus you are applying to will assign you a temporary number.
     
2. Residency. Answer all questions about residency (where you live). If you meet California Nonresident Tuition exemption guidelines, commonly known as AB 540 and are being charged nonresident tuition, contact your campus and submit a Califo​rnia Nonresident Tuition Exemption Request form. 
   

3. Once you have been accepted to a CSU campus, you should file a California Nonresident Tuition Exemption Request form with the school. The request requires that students without legal immigration status state they have filed or will file an application to legalize their immigration status as soon as they are eligible to do so. You will need to submit a separate request to each campus you plan to attend. You do not need to submit a new request if you are continuously enrolled at the same campus.
   
   For campus specific information, visit Campus Support 
   
   The law requires that the information you share on the California Nonresident Tuition Exemption Request form be kept confidential.  (See California Education Code §68130.5(d): "Student information obtained in the implementation of this section is confidential.") Student information is also protected by the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

If You Have Questions

Contact the Office of Admissions and Records at the CSU campus where you are enrolled, or where you intend to enroll, for instructions on submission of your college application or California Nonresident Tuition form (including deadline) and any additional requirements a campus may have for admission.​​