UCLA
Undocumented Student Program

Prospective Students

Regardless of whether you are applying as a freshman or 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 application website.

You can start the UC Application for fall 2019 when it opens in 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.

Personal Insight Questions

The personal insight questions gives you an opportunity to tell admissions more about your hopes, ambitions, inspirations, life experiences and more. Be reflective and concise as you only have limited words to respond to 4 of the 8 questions. Each response is limited to a maximum of 350 words

While the personal insight questions are an important part of the application, it is only one of many factors considered for admission decisions. However, it does help provide more context to the rest of the application.

We recommend working on the personal insight questions early on a word document to allow you to proofread and edit it. Once you feel satisfied with the personal insight questions, you can copy and paste it 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 an understanding about 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 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 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 parents 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.