Maybe I’m reading it wrong, but if the budget is $30k per year, the gap to $36k is not that great. If it is $30k total for 4 years, then you’re right, no CA school will be a great fit.
It’s also a tad misleading to say that OOS students will get NOTHING for aid at CA schools. They often can’t count on enough aid to bridge the gap between EFC and actual cost, but OOS students can and do get both need based aid and merit aid…sometimes. My son has has a 4 year merit scholarship at Cal Poly and after a major career change for me, was eligible for a small amount of need based aid.
On an unrelated note, what is frequently frustrating about CC is when people post questions and then just disappear. In this case, the OP has not mentioned major or clarified their actual financial need. By participating in their own threads, posters can get the best information from CC. Otherwise, it’s just speculation…