how generous is UCI?

<p>I'm an out of state junior, and although UCI is definitely not my first choice (UCLA is), I liked the campus and I love Irvine. It looks like a good school, but I hear a lot of students go home on the weekends etc. which isn't good for someone who can't go home on weekends. </p>

<p>I would really only consider UCI if they were to make my tuition about the same as Rutgers (10-20k a year). How generous is UCI with scholarships for out of state students? I have fairly high test scores (haven't taken the new sat, but probably about 2100, and 770 USH and 750 IIC Sat II) I also have a 4.0 unweighted GPA at my school, and decent EC's. Think it is possible for me to get that much scholarship?</p>

<p>I can't answer this question with any kind of authority, but I know that a number of out-of-state students earn the Regents' Scholarship, which at this point amounts to about $9k a year for four years plus a $2500 stipend for the summers if you take summer school at UCI (but only for the summers after your freshman, sophomore, and junior years). If you're out of state, that would cost $20k a year in tuition, plus whatever expenses you might incur. If you were a Regents', that would become $9k cheaper. There's also the Chancellor's Scholarship, which at this point I think amounts to about $7k a year (I think). And if you can somehow establish residency after two years your costs will go down significantly.</p>

<p>What do you think you would get if you took the old SAT? The reason I ask is that most of the people getting scholarships are in the mid-to-high 1400s and up.</p>

<p>I'd say low to mid 1400. Do you know anyone who established residency that was originally out of state? I would most definitely consider doing that to cut costs.</p>

<p>I knew a guy who was from Oregon who established CA residency in one year, but it's kinda tricky. The tough part is being financially independent. His folks worked out a scheme where they would give his uncle money. This uncle was a dentist in CA, and the uncle would "pay" my friend for "work" that he did in his office. So that was the hard part. Getting a CA license and registering to vote is the easy part.</p>

<p>I plan on living in So. Cal after I graduate anyway, so I don't see it as being dishonest establishing residency there. I have good friends, and my cousin lives there, so I could use one of their addresses, but why must you claim financial independence?</p>

<p>That's just part of establishing residency. If you're going to be a CA resident, they probably want you to be working and getting taxes taken out, since it's taxes that help make tuition lower for in-state residents.</p>