New Jersey Dream Act
New Jersey Tuition Equality Act
On December 20, 2013, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed into law Senate Bill S2479 or the New Jersey Tuition Equality Act, commonly referred to as the New Jersey Dream Act (acronym for Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors). As a result, students attending Kean University who cannot prove legal status may petition for in-state tuition exemption under this act.
To be eligible, a student who is NOT a non-immigrant alien holding a currently valid visa must have:
- attended high school in New Jersey for three or more years;
- graduated from a high school in New Jersey or received the equivalent of a high school diploma in New Jersey, such as a High School Equivalency diploma, issued by the State of New Jersey Department of Education
- registered as an entering student or are currently enrolled in a public institution of higher education not earlier than the fall semester of the 2013-2014 academic year; and
- in the case of a person without lawful immigration status, file an affidavit with Kean University stating that the student has filed an application to legalize his immigration status or will file an application as soon as he is eligible to do so.
Please complete the following Application and Affidavit.
Supporting Documents
Applicants must submit with their Affidavit their official high school transcript(s) including all courses and grades to date. If the have already graduated from high school, they must submit their final official high school transcript indicating their date of graduation.
It may also be required for a student to submit Form I-94, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Arrival/Departure Record, which is available online for free. For additional information about Form I-94, please visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website.
Submission and Processing
The completed NJ Dream Act Exemption Application and Affidavit, along with supporting documents, should be delivered to:
Office of the Registrar
Administration Building, 1st floor
(908) 73-REGME
regme@kean.edu
If Kean University determines that you are eligible for in-state tuition, you will continue to receive the exemption as long as you fulfill the requirements or the University no longer offers this exemption, whichever occurs first. Applicants seeking the exemption are encouraged to complete the affidavit as soon as possible to avoid incurring additional charges.*
*Since out-of-state tuition is applicable until a decision is made regarding the exemption, students attending under the NJ Dream Act are encouraged to complete their Dream Act paperwork at least 90 days prior to the start of the semester so that paperwork can be processed before the tuition due date.