<p>Being in California, you are fortunate that the state universities give good financial aid to in-state students.</p>
<p>General UC and CSU admission web pages are here:
[University</a> of California - Admissions](<a href=“http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/]University”>http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/)
[CSUMentor</a> - Plan for College - High School Students - Freshman Admission Requirements Overview](<a href=“Cal State Apply | CSU”>Cal State Apply | CSU)</p>
<p>For each of the UCs, go to its web site and put “net price calculator” or “financial aid calculator” in the search box. Then use it to get financial aid and net price estimates. For in-state students from low income families, the likely net price after grants tends to be between $8,500 and $10,000 per year, where students are expected to contribute work earnings and a $5,500 Direct/Stafford loan.</p>
<p>For CSUs, you can use [CSUMentor</a> - Financial Aid - PAIS](<a href=“Cal State Apply | CSU”>Cal State Apply | CSU) to get financial aid and net price estimates. CSUs are likely to be cheaper than UCs if you attend a local one in commuting distance, but may be more expensive (after financial aid grants) for others.</p>
<p>California also has low cost community colleges that you can attend for the first two years, then transfer to a UC or CSU to complete your bachelor’s degree. [Welcome</a> to ASSIST](<a href=“http://www.assist.org%5DWelcome”>http://www.assist.org) gives course listings to take at each community college for a target UC or CSU and major.</p>