so using WUE to bring the price down is as good a method as any<<<<<<
I doubt it. What schools are handing out scholarships to 3.4/1260? None that would better than a feasible UC, CSU or even CCC and transfer after 2 years. The other issue is that this student needs to have a backup plan if engineering spit him out, as it does with at least half of all students, many of which are well prepared and have high stats.
OPs family are under 30K a year but he feels he has 10-15K for uni, I am not sure that computes.
This student’s best opportunity to have his need met or nearly met is attending a UC. With his stats, his best UC choices are UC Riverside, Merced and Santa Cruz.
The other OOS choices are iffy, unreliable, and likely will have huge gaps.
Be sure to check the local area requirement for CSULB. You don’t want to waste an application if you don’t live in the required area and they are using it again for next year. EOP does have an impact on acceptance but not to the degree in other states because California public schools are not allowed to take race in consideration for admissions.
Also be sure to ask your question in the engineering forum here on CC. You may get additional information.
Can I offer a bit of slightly off-topic advice? Please take the community college assessment tests seriously if they are offered at your school. They matter in your placement. Since you’re not sure what’s going to happen, it’s best to keep the CC option open. You are close to some fantastic CCs that have good transfer records with UCs. Many B students in high school come to CC, get As, enroll in an honors college, and transfer to a UC. I know it’s not your ideal, but do at least go take a tour and keep your options open by being serious about the assessment tests. I see so many students who thought they were getting into a UC, so they goofed around on the CC assessment tests their senior year, and end up in remedial English class completely unnecessarily.