Hello! I recently got into UCSB with a good scholarship, however I am not sure if UCSB is the school for me yet because of some personal reasons. I have a baby sister I am deeply attached to as well as a family who isn’t able to put 10k down a year on my education and have been seriously considering going to CC and transferring/TAG to Irvine, etc. I spoke to a counselor at my local CC and she said I’d be able to transfer in one year, meaning I’d apply again this fall!! I am not sure what to do because it’s either SIR to UCSB where I would end up in loans, but I have heard amazing things about it, or go to CC where I would have to apply to UCs again with only my summer quarter grades but would transfer in as a junior to a UC. Please help 
I have spent the entire past month debating on the right decision to make and wake up every day with a new decision. Additionally I’m not sure how the COVID19 situation would impact all of this.
How much loans and work earnings would UCSB require?
If you start at CC, would you be able to afford the UC or CSU that you transfer to?
It would be at least 10K, my father just got a job after being unemployed for over two years so we don’t have the wiggle room to spend it on my time at ucsb yet. After going to cc, I’ll have knocked out 2 years of tuition and be able to afford it hopefully!
@ripadmissionflip - While no one knows for sure, there seems to be a high chance that the UC’s and cc’s will be online in fall. If so, you would stay home either way.
That being said, next year’s application process is sure to be a mess. Many seniors this year are deciding on gap years, Internationals may not be able to get visas, test scores have been waived and in many cases grades have switched to pass/no pass. You need to realize that reapplying next year may be a lot more competitive.
Only you can make the decision. Did you apply and get accepted to another school you like more? If not, I would seize this opportunity, work your tail off and try to graduate a year early vs. missing the first year. My two cents for what it’s worth.
Do you mean to say that your net price at UCSB is $10k, or $10k + some other amount that your parents can contribute?
If it is $10k, carefully compare it to the cost of CC, since there will be costs like commuting, food and utilities at home, etc. beyond the tuition and books (probably about $3k), minus any financial aid grants.
$10k is a typical expected student contribution, usually covered by $5.5k federal direct loan and $4.5k work earnings (part time during the school year and during the summer). However, job availability may be scarcer this year than in most years.
Here’s an interview with the president of Brown U talking about their re-open plans and thought process. I know Brown isn’t a UC but, it provides and insight into how they are working toward re-opening.
https://www.cnbc.com/video/2020/04/28/reopening-economy-universities-funding-coronavirus-squawk-box.html
UCSB doesn’t start until late Sep - I am cautiously optimistic they’ll be back on campus by then.
I’ll echo/expound a couple on of thoughts from above -I also think applications for next school year are going to be nuts. Tons of kids and their families are pressing pause and thinking - Gap Year it is. I expect freshman and transfer admission to be even more competitive next year. I also think this will have a tail impact on transfer admissions for the next couple of years.
Commuting to a CC isn’t free, so cost gap is narrower than it appears.
If you were my kid - I’d also counsel you to head to UCSB next year and make the most of it.
Either way, Congrats and Good luck
Thank you so much! I’m also afraid of it being crazy and definitely am going towards committing to UCSB!! Thank you again.