In July, Gov. Brown signed AB 130, which many refer to as the first part of the so-called California Dream Act, which allowed those who were eligible for AB 540, to have access to $80 million in private scholarships.

That bill, which passed in 2001, gave in-state tuition access to undocumented students who attended a California high school for at least three years; graduated from a California high school or attained the equivalent of a high school diploma; and are registered or currently enrolled at an accredited California institution of higher education and sign a pledge to apply for legal residency status if it becomes available to them.

According to Rose Carmona, financial aid and undocumented youth counselor at SF State, an estimated 60 students have presented themselves as AB 540 students this semester. In addition she estimates that there are more than 300 undocumented students currently enrolled at the University.

As a counselor, Carmona has talked to a variety of students who have opened up to her about their pasts and about the effects of being undocumented.

“Every AB 540 student has had a different life, some have worked at farms, fields or even been homeless,” Carmona said. “A lot of psychological implications come from being undocumented.”

This newest piece of legislation will allow undocumented students to apply for community college fee waivers and Cal Grants along with other financial aid programs.

In order to be eligible for the aid, students must qualify for AB 540 in addition to demonstrating financial need and academic integrity.

A study done by UCLA’s Center for Labor Research and Education estimates that there are 65,000 undocumented students that graduate from U.S. high schools each year. Roughly 40 percent, or 26,000, of those students reside in California.

Ira Mehlman, spokesman for Federation for American Immigration Reform, feels that the law will adversely affect other students in California.