Assembly Bill 540 reauthorized California's public colleges and universities to charge undocumented students in state student fees in 2001. As a result, AB540 students across California and allies created advocacy groups that were necessary to appropriately implement the AB540 law in state schools.
Groups like UCLA IDEAS, UC Santa Cruz SIN (Student Informing Now), Cal State Long Beach FUEL and East Los Angeles Community College SAHEE are now advocating for the rights of AB540 student as well as the California Dream Act.
The following organizations are near Animo High Schools and provide AB540 workshops for parents, educators and community organizers:
FUEL @ Cal State Long Beach: Elena Macias, Advisor for FUEL (562) 985-8816
As an AB540 advocacy and support group at Cal State Long Beach, FUEL seeks to support, inform and provide AB540 students with a network of support services. FUEL students are available to speak with high school youth and share their perspectives as allies AB 540 students enrolled a CSU Long Beach. For more information contact Elena Macias but preferably email the student group at: fuelcsulb@yahoo.com
UCLA IDEAS:
Is an active force in the movement to pass the California and Federal Dream Acts. The organization offers AB540 students and allies a resourceful webpage with legislative updates, a contact list to ask for information workshops and scholarships. Anyone interested in working or contacting UCLA IDEAS can visit: http://www.studentgroups.ucla.edu/ideas/index.html for further information.
Cal Poly Pomona D.E. P.I.E:
Demanda Estudiantil Para Igualdad Estudiantil was founded at Cal Poly Pomona to support and advocate for the equal opportunities of students regardless of legal status. If you wish to contact DE PIE, direct any AB540 workshop and student leader contact information requests to Mery Hernandez, AB540 Student Advisor and university liason at Cal Poly Pomona: Phone (909) 869-2916 Email: mchernandez@csupomona.edu.
Cal State Dominguez Hills: Espiritu de Nuestro Futuro
Espiritu de Nuestro Futuro is a collaborative effort made by professors and students at Cal State Dominguez Hills to support and advocate for the equal higher education opportunities of all students. To get in contact with members of this organization and connect incoming CSUDH AB540 students to this network of services contact Dr. Irene Vazquez, Chair Chicana/o Studies Department at 310-243-3070.
Cal State Los Angeles
Students United to Reach Goals in Education Project, also knows as SURGE, seeks to support and advise AB540 students by offering AB540 high school presentations, tabling in community events and are known for their "Cash for College AB540 Workshop." Contact SURGE by email at: csula_surge@yahoogroups.com.
East Los Angeles College:
ELAC now has two valuable resources that seek to advise and inform AB540 students of the opportunities and support services available at the college. The admissions office at ELAC assigned Ana Salazar the AB540 Advisor role and can connect the community to the Student Empowerment Project. This student group creates awareness and supports the community by informing students of the support services available for AB540 and undocumented students. Contact Ana Salazar at (323) 415-4136.
UC Berkeley RISE:
The Rising Immigrant Scholars through Education, otherwise known as RISE, works with the Multicultural Student Development Center at UC Berkeley to promote various issues related to AB540 students. RISE advocates for the California Dream Act but specifically exists to support AB540 students and future AB540 prospective high school students. Email: brenda@uclink.berkeley.edu or call Phone: 510.642.1802
UC Davis SPEAK :
The student body at UC Davis is actively seeking to assist AB540 students by providing scholarship opportunities and connecting newly admitted students to campus centers like the Student Recruitment & Retention Center for Chicano/a Latino/a students. La Raza Pre-Law Society and Sigma Lambda Gamma Sorority offer an annual $1000.00 scholarship for the AB540 community and SPEAK is also able to direct AB540 students to other local scholarship opportunities. To find these groups, the Chicano/a Studies Department website includes a link that directs AB540 newly admitted students to student groups like SPEAK. Also, a helpful mentor and guide at UC Davis is Joaquin Galvan, Counselor for Latino/a and Chicano/a students. Contact Joaquin by email (jdgalvan@ucdavis.edu) or by phone (530) 752-2032.