I am currently looking int transferring and I have seen that my best bet to transfer is going to a UC, due to the blue and gold opportunity. Any student who makes under 80,000 and meets certain requirements can receive free tuition. So I am leaning more towards going to UCR, or UCSC. But I was wondering, is there anything similar to the blue and gold opportunity for cal states? I reive the max amount of FAFSA since my EFC is 0 and I have a GPA of 3.6 maybe 3.7 by the end of the semester. Anyone from a cal state of a good financial aid package?
You can try the net price calculators on the web sites of the CSUs and UCs of interest.
For a FAFSA_EFC = $0 student, it is likely that the net price ranking will be CSU commuter living with parents < UC < CSU resident student. UC financial aid is adjusted depending on living situation, but CSU financial aid is not.
So if you are living with your parents, a CSU that you can commute to from there is likely to be less expensive than a UC, but a CSU that you need to live at (dorm or off-campus housing) is likely to be more expensive than a UC.
The Cal states do have something similar to the Blue and Gold Plan like the UC’s, which is the Cal Grant. With an EFC of $0, your system wide fees (tuition) will be covered for the CSU’s just like the B&G plan.
The majority of students (but not all) in California live within commuting distance of one of the 23 CSU campuses and many CSUs offer admission priority to applicants from their home region.
In addition, the CSU is available to students who would not be academically eligible for a UC. If as a student that is admitted to a UC and finds it is less expensive, then you are in a fantastic position and should take advantage of it. That does not make the CSU any less of a bargain for those who pay $0 for tuition and can commute from home.