Because you asked them to consider you by applying. UCLA is need blind for admissions, so the admissions office has no idea if you need FA or not. Admissions is considering your application, not your ability to pay. It has no idea if you have a rich uncle willing to pay, just won the lottery, or have a full ride scholarships from a big foundations.
I had success showing interest in IU Bloomington (in-state student). They had awarded me $12.5k in automatic scholarships, but we emailed the Office of Financial Aid asking whether additional money is available, and adding that the school was my top choice and that I had received enough scholarship and financial aid at University of Arizona to equal the cost of IU.
Another $8k appeared in my financial aid award just two days later.
I’m sure it depends on the school, but I personally believe I had success with asking a school for more money.
I was hopping for more sub non sub loans not direct parent loan … I don’t think she can even qualify for that much loan 
love UCLA and planning on staying in California for rest of my life
@aamcgss Federal direct loans are limited to $5500 freshman year by law. Did you apply to USC where you would be eligible for more aid?
That’s what I was wondering if it is typical evarage amount for UCLA to give for oos or atypical??? I guess they gave me even more than usual??? I got “spoiled” by getting full ride from instate umich … understand California cares more about own residents , just like umich does , but I was hoping for more affordable loans 
Go to Michigan.
I did rejected I know private schools would offer more but so far I got rejected by them all UPenn, Mit , uchicago, JH, waitlisted washu ( not known for good aid ) so far I have only 4 public school acceptance 2 full ride instate , UCLA is my top choice umich is good for premed don’t get me wrong but I want to get out from my state to happier state
@aamcgss California will still be there when you graduate from U Mich with zero debt. Don’t go into debt and do not for one second guilt your awesome single mom to sign for a loan to finance your dream school in California.
Fall in love with the idea of zero debt. Fall in love with U Mich. Make plans to go intern or co-op in California and then head there on your own dime when you graduate. Congrats on some great admissions.
@aamcgss : OMG you got a full ride to UMichigan? Go there! (With the savings from your on-campus job, study away for a semester with a partner school in CA, study abroad, go on Spring Break somewhere…)
There are SO MANY opportunities open to you thanks to Michigan AND thanks to a full ride. The freedom given by that full ride means that, for all you know, you may end up with a job in California and no debt to pay back each month, making all your roommates green with envy. Trust me, there won’t be many college graduates in your situation.
BTW, find that book and save money for your travels 
https://eu.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2018/04/23/michigan-students-not-rich-college-guide/520980002/
http://www.secondwavemedia.com/concentrate/features/notrich0489.aspx
Thanks for kind words . I know saving as undergrad is extremely important for me , because I’m planning on going to med school ,( unavoidable debt ) I don’t want to be in debt until my 40s. Just hard to to say no to my dream school when I’m so close …and worked so hard throughout my high school to get here. I will keep repeating to myself “U Mich is as good as UCLA just with better weather conditions “ still waiting for six more schools …
@aamcgss are those schools that guarantee to meet need? Please say they are not California schools!
Only one does not , but probably not going to get in Berkeley. Most likely not going to get in in any of them brown, Columbia , northwestern, rice, Stanford .After I got in UMich in December I only applied to “better” top tier schools
@aamcgss UMich is a fantastic school and I wouldn’t hesitate to attend with that offer. You can always apply to a SoCal med school, right? Or angle for a residency there? Brave the winters — it will be worth it!
@aamcgss WOW! I know people in state who were accepted to UCLA and get NADA. If you got a free ride from UMich I would jump on that in a heart beat. From there you can apply to CA med school? After going through this process with my daughter (who is a senior) and the idea of a “good” college and “top tier schools” - you will end up where you belong. Education is what you make of it and the opportunities and connections while you are in college. I know a very successful Dr who did her pre-med at Michigan. I would jump at the chance for my daughter to graduate debt free.
@aamcgss definitely take the free ride! I know how much it hurts to not go exactly where you want due to money. Been there, done that, and lived with my parents the entire four years (sigh…with a curfew no less). I promise the sting goes away, you get engrossed in your classes and meet people, and life moves on. Now that I am well out of school the freedom not having loans gives me is incredible! We paid off our house, I have a job that is driving me nuts that I can walk away from (without another job) if it gets bad enough, we vacation really well, these are all things that wouldn’t have happened if I were bogged down with student loans. I say this not to brag, just to show the difference the cash flow can make (and I’m still in my 30s).
O my god o my god to make my case worst I got in Berkeley
if you can’t afford to go to UCB, which you cant, then go to UM.
A free ride, at a top U, trumps all other options, no matter what.
Congrats once again!
The UCs do not guarantee to meet full need. The state of California has a lot of grants and programs that meet the gaps nicely if you are a state resident, but you are not. You may have gotten state money for your in state public schools to make them full ride.for you. I know our state has grant programs for those with financial need going to instate colleges, but all bets off, you don’t qualify for a dime of that money if your parents are not state residents.
Referring back a couple of pages on this thread, our DD did apply to some privates that were reaches both in admissions criteria and cost. Our hired college counselor advised us that certain private colleges meet over 90% of need. DD received several rejections, and acceptances at privates where financial aid/scholarship are not enough for us to consider drowning in debt. Only one private is close in cost to our tab at a UC campus.
DD is a 3.92 GPA and ACT of 30 so not a candidate for major scholarships.
When a family has an EFC of zero on their FAFSA, their A- student is better off at a public university, as the privates will generally not be affordable. Hard realities learned late.
@CalifMom2Twins Not necessarily. I helped a student last year with a top 15% rank ACT 28 win two full rides. If people would just look beyond the short list of colleges discussed on CC, there are really good deals to be had.