Notwithstanding any other law:
(a) A student, other than a nonimmigrant foreign national within the meaning of paragraph (15) of subsection (a) of Section 1101 of Title 8 of the United States Code, who meets all of the following requirements shall be exempt from paying nonresident tuition at the California State University and the California Community Colleges:
(1) Satisfaction of either of the following:
(A) High school attendance in California for three or more years.
(B) Attainment of credits earned in California from a California high school equivalent to three or more years of full-time high school coursework and a total of three or more years of attendance in California elementary schools, California secondary schools, or a combination of those schools.
(2) Graduation from a California high school or attainment of the equivalent thereof.
(3) Registration as an entering student at, or current enrollment at, an accredited institution of higher education in California not earlier than the fall semester or quarter of the 2001–02 academic year.
(4) In the case of a person without lawful immigration status, the filing of an affidavit with the institution of higher education stating that the student has filed an application to legalize his or her immigration status, or will file an application as soon as he or she is eligible to do so.
(b) A student exempt from nonresident tuition under this section may be reported by a community college district as a full-time equivalent student for apportionment purposes.
(c) The Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges and the Trustees of the California State University shall prescribe rules and regulations for the implementation of this section.
(d) Student information obtained in the implementation of this section is confidential.
(Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 69, Sec. 8. (AB 1850) Effective January 1, 2017. Operative only if the condition in Sec. 10 of Ch. 69 was satisfied on or before January 20, 2017.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018