California State University Chancellor Joseph I. Castro released the following statement:
“The California State University applauds the passage of HR 6 as an important step toward what we hope will be a bipartisan solution for America's Dreamers, providing them with access to legal protections and the certainty that they may continue to positively contribute to our country and economy.
“Along with doubling the Pell Grant, providing our Dreamer students with a clear path to a bright and productive future by enabling them to receive federal student aid is the university's highest federal policy priority.
“Providing these students, including the approximately 10,000 CSU students who receive an AB 540 waiver, with a clear path for the future—to complete their educations, build their careers and carve out their legacies—is indeed a wise decision for California and our nation, and it is aligned with the university's core principles of inclusive excellence and empowering upward social mobility.
“We are thankful for the bold leadership of Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Los Angeles) and the additional California delegation members, who co-sponsored or supported the bill on the floor this week, to move this proposal forward."
On March 18, 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives approved HR 6, the American Dream and Promise Act of 2021. While the California State University does not track the number of undocumented students enrolled throughout the university, the CSU estimates that approximately 10,000 of the university's students who have applied for and received an AB 540 waiver are undocumented. California's AB 540 exempts certain students from paying nonresident tuition.
About the California State University
The California State University is the
largest system of four-year higher education in the country, with 23 campuses,
56,000 faculty and staff and 486,000 students. Half of the CSU's
students transfer from California community colleges. Created in 1960, the
mission of the CSU is to provide high-quality, affordable education to meet the
ever-changing needs of California. With its commitment to quality, opportunity,
and student success, the CSU is renowned for superb teaching, innovative
research and for producing job-ready graduates. Each year, the CSU
awards nearly 129,000 degrees. One in every 20 Americans holding a
college degree is a graduate of the CSU and our alumni are 3.9 million
strong. Connect with and learn more about the CSU in the CSU NewsCenter.