Transferring from UCLA to Private b/c of Finances

Transfer Students
1

So, I’m going to UCLA as an out-of-state student, and the price tag is sorta hefty as many may know, but I was under the impression that I would be able to pay for it with a combination of loans and out-of-pocket money. Both of my parents are deceased so I’m an independent and have some funds that other family members keep in their name so as to reduce my EFC; however, there’s a whole situation with some inheritance that completely changed my financial situation from when I accepted my offer and tl;dr I’ll be able to swing UCLA for one year, but there’s absolutely no way that I can attend for more than that.

I did already talk to the financial aid office, and really there’s just no way that they can help me enough because I’m not a California resident and they charge a PHAT “supplemental tuition” for $28k a year for OOS students and even with the scholarships and grants I have that have heavily reduced the tuition for me, there’s no way I can get the supplemental tuition waived.

Essentially, I’m stuck. I already accepted my offer and can’t really go to CC at home because I live in a rural area with no CC options even close enough to drive, and taking a gap year would be a logistical burden as well. Unless anyone has any suggestions, I feel like if I want to continue my educational career I need to bite the bullet and attend UCLA for a year and then see what happens.

So, what are my options? I have been researching transferring. I know that transfers get less aid, but honestly with a $0 EFC, some privates would likely give me more aid than UCLA can give me right now even as a transfer student, at least after researching the types of packages people have been getting as transfers.
I know that transferring is harder than freshman admission, and I’m not holding my breath for any one school. I’m not really dreaming of any Ivies since I know what a reach that is; I’m thinking of applying to more of a mix of LACs and some smaller private T30 schools like WashU, Rice, Emory, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, and maybe publics like UVA, UNC, and UMich if they give me enough aid. Is any of this possible for me?

In terms of other reasons for transfer that could legitimize and validate my transfer process, I want to pursue the pre-med track while also either double-majoring with or just simply majoring in film. Since I’m in UCLA L&S, I can’t pursue film as a major, only a minor since I wasn’t admitted to their film school. Is film a less impacted major at private universities and LAC’s (save for USC and NYU,) and is transferring possible when you’re applying for a different major than the one you’re currently studying? (I’m doing Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology at UCLA.)

And in general, what can I do to help strengthen my transfer application? Should I retake the ACT? (I have a 31 as it stands now.) What classes should I take save for film and Biology/Pre-Med classes that I’m planning on that would help me later on if I transfer? I do have some EC’s lined up (Debate, LGBTQ Center, Medical volunteering,) but how can I connect with professors at UCLA to the point that they would write letters of rec for my application, and what type of involvement on campus do colleges look for in transfers?

Also, with knowing that I had a 3.6 in high school with a URM status and being a first-generation student, are there any schools that any of you have experience applying to, or would recommend?

Thank you all so much in advance for your help. I hope to not come off as one of those people who asks about transferring simply because of prestige; I would be more than happy and grateful to attend UCLA. It was my dream to get in there, but I learned too late that it wouldn’t work out and I’m stuck for now in a situation that needs to change after this year.

2

Have you started at UCLA yet? If not, then have you paid for much other than a deposit?

Are you in-state for a different state?

One option might be to take a gap year and apply to less expensive universities to start in just over a year. Life is not a race and a gap year can be worthwhile for some students.

Do you have a good sense what your total budget is for the full 4 years (or more) of university?

3

@DadTwoGirls , I have not started UCLA yet, but I have paid some room installments. I am out of state, and as I stated a gap year is not an option for me because of logistical issues with family; I will have to go to college this year, and there are no community colleges close enough to home for me to go to. UCLA currently costs $37k for me with having full need for tuition; if I could get down to $10k-$15k, that would be much more manageable for me, albeit an even better offer will go further (not counting on it since I’m a transfer.)

4

and, just BTW; my current budget would allow me to go to UCLA for one year depending on if I get that $10k-$15k offer from another school after transferring; this year isn’t so much a problem, but going all four years would very quickly blow through my life savings that I was planning on using for medical school.

5

Is $37k the total cost of attendance, or just tuition? Will you be ok to pay for other expenses (books, laptop, food, housing, …)?

6

What is your own state flagship? Maybe some are still accepting students for fall or spring.

7

Total cost of attendance is $37k, food and housing included and I already own a laptop, I should have enough in my budget for books taking 3-4 courses a quarter.

8

I hate to say this, but your story is exactly why most shouldn’t go OOS. Anyway, yes, probably biting the bullet here and going to UCLA may be your best bet since you can’t gap. Personally I would advise doing exactly that, get a job and work to support yourself and reapply to schools that meet need and save the 38K - deposits. I mean you could have a total income of 20K and no assets and you will get nothing from UCLA. You will get some federal aid though.

9

@CheddarcheeseMN my state flagship is University of Arkansas, and I already contacted them and they won’t enroll for fall.
@CU123 Yes, OOS can be a really bad idea and I wish I would have heeded the advice; and honestly though, schools like UNC and UMich offer much more to OOS students (if they get in) as opposed to the UC system, I thoroughly believe that this is mainly a UC problem and the supplemental tuition effectively shuts OOS out, I get that that’s sort of what it’s intended to do but it’s still very unfortunate. I did get a $17k grant from the school itself, the rest came federally, $37k is the minimum cost for OOS students given the fact that I have a $0 EFC and that’s pretty insane. I know a gap year would be the best thing to do, but given the situation that I would have no housing and attaining it would be iffy given that I would likely have to go outside my rural area, attending college is the option. I am planning to pay about $17k out of pocket from my deceased parents’ savings and then take out about $20k in loans; this shouldn’t be an issue if I can get the amount of aid I expect from a private college and then I could pay it all out of pocket, of course that could always change, and I can pay off that sole loan from a 529 plan after school ends.

10

Can you work during a gap year to earn some money while applying to a more affordable set of colleges to start in the following year?

11

Have you considered enrolling in a community college and finding a room in an apartment adjacent to campus? Bulletin boards around campuses often have “I need a roommate” notices. You’ll be saving a boatload of money over going to UCLA for a year.

There are some community colleges that even have dorms. The apartments I know of around CCs in our area are basically all student housing.

12

Is there a community college in your state that has residence halls or apartments near enough for you to get to campus from?

Do you have anyone you could live with during a gap year?

Right now your best option is a gap year. Your second best is a cheaper place where you can enroll for this fall. Your third best is to spend no more than one semester at UCLA and then get back to your cheap home state U or community college. Transferring to a private U to save money probably is not a good plan. The good aid almost always goes to incoming freshmen,

Having other peole hold money for you to lower your EFC is possibly financial aid fraud. Even if it isn’t outright fraud, it will mes up your EFC in future years because when those people pay your college bills, you need to report the money as being paif for your education by others. Meet with your financial advisors and sort through all of that carefully.

13

As an independent student, you should be able to get sufficient grant/loan money for an in-state university. Private schools vary widely on how generous they are with financial aid. Your situation could make you a good case to cover all of your financial need, but be sure to do the Net Price Calculator in advance.

14

Not sure that I concur. Any private school is going to require recs for a transfer, and such things are REALLY hard to come by for a Frosh at the big State U. Basically, the only academic folks that the OP may get to know will be TA’s, and their recs generally don’t hold much weight.

I just don’t see UCLA as an option whatsoever.

Agreed. If the OP has enough cash to move across country to attend school in Westwood for a year, OP has enough to attend his/her instate public, or an instate community college.

15

if you can be considered as financially independent, then you can apply to be a resident for tuition purposes. that would waive the supplemental fee that you would have to pay. the requirements can be pretty strict, but honestly, the hardest requirement to fulfill for me is the financial independence requirement. it takes a year or two to actually fulfill the requirements. have you tried looking into that? and you could try applying to various scholarships.