Non-resident students from all across the globe have attended and graduated from Rio Hondo based upon being able to afford college. The AB 540 program grants non-resident students the opportunity to affordably attend Rio Hondo College via the California Dream Act passed, October of 2001.

The program allows documented, undocumented, and nonresident citizens to be exempt from paying nonresident tuition. This program is only available to students who have already attended three or more years at a K­12 school, and have graduated high school or obtained a GED. The AB 540 program was passed for students caught in situations like having graduated from a California high school but attended an out of state college only to come back. Another issue this program remedies is U.S. born children of nonresident parents, where the parent(s) returned to their native country but chose to leave their child behind. If the child is in this circumstance, and graduates a California high school they could now afford college in California based on AB 540.

Rio Hondo, according to California Community College Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) website, Datamart.cccco.edu, has a breakdown of demographics of citizenship status of Rio’s students. Of the 18,164 students that were enrolled during the fall 2015 semester: 47 were temporary residents, 15 were refugee/asylum seekers, 44 had student visas, 761 were under the “other” category, and 37 were under the unknown/uncollected status.

The headquarters of the University of California education system in Oakland released a report in 2013 regarding the total number of students using the AB 540 program since it was passed. The report broke demographics down into categories of undergraduates that were documented and undocumented. Asians represented 53 percent, with Latinos representing 30 percent and White students only representing 10 percent of the undergraduate documented students. Undocumented undergraduates, on the other hand, were a lot closer when it comes to percentages, the report showed. Latino students representing 48 percent and Asian students having 45 percent of the undocumented undergraduates report.

Aaron Martinez, a  22 year old student photographer, is an AB 540 student, as well as having applied for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) that has been attending Rio Hondo since spring of 2013 and has  lived in the U.S. for 12 years. Martinez spoke about being in the AB 540 program for four years, and about his applicaton process involving DACA.

“I had to work for a while to save up for the [DACA work] permit,” Martinez said when asked about the DACA application. Martinez stated  that he had to save $475 for the application itself, and would have to renew it every 2 years.The DACA procedure takes about four to five months and it involves signing an affidavit verifying the student’s education and citizen status.

Lewis Enriquez, President of the club Students Without Borders at Rio, along with an ex club member, established the club to be a safe haven for any students under AB 540. Enriquez molded the club around helping foreign students that have not adjusted to American society and may need help with any financial aid issues. The club is looking to help any returning students, or new AB 540 students.

For more information on the AB 540 program, visit Administration’s office.