Ok I am very familiar with USD and want to clarify some misconceptions on your part. 1. Your GPA from CSUSM comes with you to USD so you will not start at zero. Your USD grades will be added in.
You will not receive additional scholarships after one semester at USD. USD is not generous to transfer students. They say it all the time in their presentations. Outside scholarships for transfer students are very limited and if awarded are awarded for small amounts. It is highly doubtful you would get enough to cover USD's tuition. If you are going to apply to outside scholarships, then look at the San Diego Foundation to see if any are available for transfer students. It is one application for multiple scholarships.
Since you are at a Cal-State and not a junior college, it is very difficult for you to transfer to either UCSD or SDSU. Most transfer spots are reserved for students under local TAG agreements. The time period for applying has passed I believe.
Your best option is to complete your degree at San Marcos. You may not like it as much as other places but your options are very limited. A degree is better than no degree. You could take a semester off to work enough to have the money to buy a car. Have you looked into public transportation to CSUSM? I know of local students who use public transportation to get to San Marcos.
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Count on getting zero in outside scholarships.
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I agree. Both of my kids were top students and only one got an outside scholarship as a current student. It was a ONE time award for $2000…not enough to make a dent in the shortfall you’d have.
But, again, the bigger problem is that you only have 3 semesters left for Cal Grant. That is a BIG problem. Finish at San Marco. Take out the student loan for San Marco and get a better car. It sounds like you’re either a junior or sophomore. You’d get 6500-7500…use that to buy a more reliable car. Have someone who “knows cars” find you a reliable Japanese or similar car…or a Ford.
You need to get a grip. And sadly- that means returning to San Marco. If you need to take a semester off to work and save up for a better car then do that. The way you explain your situation to your parents is that you can’t finish your degree but taking out loans they can’t afford to repay. pretty simple- there’s no culture gap there.
You need to set up three meetings back at your old college.
1- Financial Aid- make sure that your plan of either returning for next semester, or taking a semester off and returning in August with a financial cushion and a more reliable car isn’t going to mess with any of the aid you are currently receiving, and make sure that a counselor in the aid office reviews your numbers to make sure there isn’t something else (a small departmental scholarship?) that you might be eligible for.
2- An adviser in the bio department- you need to review all the classes you have taken and put together a plan for what you are going to take every semester until you graduate. Check that you are taking courses in the right sequence. You simply cannot afford an extra semester of tuition if you find out you can’t graduate on time.
3- A Dean in the office of student life/student services or whatever they call it at your college. You need to find out if there are any resources that might help you that you aren’t aware of- vacant dorm rooms where commuters can sleep during exam week for example, so you aren’t driving long distances when you could be studying. An on-campus job which might pay more than your current job and will take less time to get to. A community chest type organization which makes interest free loans to first generation students to help them with extra college expenses.
I am sad to tell you that how much you love or hate this college isn’t germane right now. You have too much to lose by leaving it for a college you CANNOT afford. You need to figure out (with the help of the three grownups I’ve listed) how to get out of college with your degree in the quickest way possible. And that means- San Marco.