How to Apply for Aid (DREAM): Prospective Graduate Students
Costs | Aid Programs | How to Apply for Aid (FAFSA) | How to Apply for Aid (DREAM) | After you Apply
Priority filing deadline is March 3, 2025 (for the 2025-2026 year only)!
School Code 001144
Completing the DREAM Application is the first step toward getting financial aid for college.
The California Dream Act of 2011 allows students who meet AB540 criteria to apply for and receive funds from certain state and institutional financial aid programs. Completing and submitting the DREAM Application is free and quick, and it gives you access to Cal Poly Pomona financial aid programs. In addition, your DREAM Application is used by some scholarship providers to determine whether you qualify for their awards.
The Dream Application becomes available every October 1st – and the priority deadline for applying is March 2nd (for the 2025 – 2026 academic year, the application will become available December 1, 2024 and the priority filing deadline is March 3, 2025).
If you miss the Dream Application Priority Filing Deadline, you will miss your opportunity to be considered for CA State and Cal Poly Pomona Institutional financial aid for the entire academic year.
2025-26 CADAA Application Available Beginning December 1st!
The 2025-26 CADAA application will open on December 1, 2024. Be sure to complete your application by the March 3, 2025 Priority Filing Deadline!
DREAM students pursuing a graduate degree are eligible to be considered for the State University Grant; eligibility for SUG is determined by the DREAM Application.
In order to be eligible to be considered for funding through the DREAM Application:
- You must not meet eligibility criteria to file a FAFSA
- You must meet the conditions of California AB540 status
- You must not hold a valid non-immigrant visa (F, J, H, L, A, B, C, D, E, etc.).
The California Dream Act Application is intended for those students that are undocumented, have Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or have a U Visa and meet the eligibility requirements.
Determine if You Should Complete the Dream Application
If you have further questions, including how to ensure you are completing the correct financial aid application, you can visit the Immigrants Rising website and review FAFSA VS CA Dream Act: Apply to the Correct Financial Aid
Additional Resources:
All students pursuing a graduate degree (Master’s or Doctoral) are considered to be independent for financial aid purposes. As a result, parent information does not need to be reported on the DREAM Application.
The DREAM Application asks for important personal identification information as well as financial information. Be sure to use the exact name and date of birth on the DREAM Application that you use on your Admissions Application!
You should have the following information and documents with you as you fill out your Dream Application:
- Your Social Security Number (if you have one)
- Your Driver’s License number if you have one
- Federal Tax information or tax returns – including IRS W-2 information for you (and your spouse if married).
- Records of your untaxed income, such as child support received, interest income, and veterans non-education benefits for you (and your spouse if married).
- Information on cash, savings, and checking account balances; investments – including real estate (not including the home in which you live); and business and farm assets for you (and your spouse if married).
To be considered for California State or Cal Poly Pomona Institutional Grants, a completed financial aid application must be submitted by the March 2 priority filing deadline.
Accessing the Dream Application
Related Links
Completing the Dream Application is not the last step; your application has to be processed, and then you get an Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which Cal Poly Pomona uses to figure out how much aid you are eligible to receive.
After initial successful submission of your application, the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) will send you an email with your nine-digit Dream ID number. If you do not receive an email from CSAC, be sure to check your spam/junk mail folders. Keep your Dream ID number in a safe place because you will use it to log back into the Dream Application, when you correct errors on the Dream Application, or when you talk to CSAC or to Cal Poly Pomona.
- Review the Confirmation Page within your application to see if there are any errors that need your attention.
- Review your California Student Aid Report (CA-SAR). Your SAR will list the information that you provided on the California Dream Act Application, as well as an Expected Family Contribution (EFC).
- Check your CA-SAR for accuracy. For corrections, return to the California Dream Act website and make the changes immediately. If no changes are needed, save the form for your records.
Additional Resources:
The EdD Program begins enrollment with the Summer term, which is considered to be part of the previous academic year. Financial aid is available for the Summer – but requires completing a separate Dream application (for the prior academic year).
Students applying for admission to the EdD program beginning with Summer 2025 must complete the following two Dream applications in order to be considered for financial aid for the first year of the EdD Program:
- 2024 – 2025 Dream Application (For Summer 2025)
- 2025 – 2026 Dream Application (For Fall 2025 & Spring 2026)