Regardless of whether you are applying as a freshmanor transfer student, the following information will help you apply to the University of California as an undocumented student.
Apply Online
To apply to the University of California (including UCLA), visit the official UC applicationwebsite.
You can start the UC Application for fall 2023 when it opens on August 1st. However, the submission period will be from November 1 - 30. Applications must be submitted online by the last day of the filing period.
Visit the catalog for the list of UCLA Majors by department to determine which major/department is right for you!
Personal Insight Questions
The personal insight questions present a chance for you to provide admissions with a deeper understanding of your aspirations, motivations, life encounters, and beyond. Be reflective and concise, as you only have limited words to respond to fourof the eight questions. Each response is limited to a maximum of 350 words.
Although the personal insight questions hold significance in the application process, they constitute just one aspect among various factors taken into account when making admission decisions. Still, they play a valuable role in offering additional context to the overall application and who you are!
We recommend starting early on your PIQs by working on them in a document (through either Google Docs or Word), which enables you to proofread and make edits. Once you have achieved a level of satisfaction with your responses, you can conveniently copy and paste them onto the application.
If you feel comfortable, you may disclose your undocumented status in the personal statement or the additional comments section. This will not affect your application. However, it will give more context and an understanding of your own experience.
Application Fee Waivers
If you are AB 540 eligible and meet the income requirements, you may get the application waived for up to four UC campuses. The application will prompt to the fee waiver based on your response to the following questions in your UC application:
- Citizenship status: If you choose “No selection” (see the tips for filling out this section below).
- California residency: If you attended a California high school for three or more years and will graduate or have graduated from a California high school.
- Your family's income and the number of people supported by that income.
You may apply to additional UC campuses, but you will have to pay $70 for each additional application.
Citizenship Status
Any student is eligible to apply to a UC, regardless of immigration status. As an undocumented student (including those with DACA), you may select "No Selection," which is one of the options for the question on citizenship status. This will avoid additional questions about permanent residency or visa status.
However, you will be asked additional questions to determine if you are a California resident for admission and in-state tuition (with AB 540) purposes:
- Have you attended a California high school for three or more years and will graduate or have graduated from a California high school?
- How long have you lived in California?
- Is your parent or legal guardian a legal permanent resident of California? [if you’re under 18]
- Is your parent, legal guardian, spouse, or registered domestic partner an employee of UC or a UC-affiliated national laboratory?
If you are considered a California resident for admission purposes, you may be eligible for the UC application fee waiver. You will also be considered for admission using the 3.0 minimum GPA (rather than the 3.4 GPA for non-residents).
Parent citizenship information:
You may be asked questions about your parent's citizenship. You do not have to answer these questions, but they will be useful to determine whether you are a California resident or not. Please answer these questions to the best of your ability. This information provided will not affect the decision to be admitted to a UC.
Please visit our FAQs tab for more information on how to apply as an undocumented student.
