Transfer places come.from freshmen giving up and transferring elsewhere. Very few students transfer out of Ivies, as a result it’s very difficult to transfer in.
Cornell CALS has the most transfers but they generally come from NYS CCs because CALS is a “contract” college for NYS residents (semi public).
The difference with the UK isn’t that it’s more lenient, but rather 1) you’re a UK resident so unis dont treat you like a visa-student 2) financial aid is a government loan, not the university’s own money. When it comes to its own money, such as Entrance scholarships, the amount doesn’t change even if, say, a parent loses their job.
Is the government loan available if you study abroad or only if you study at a UK uni?
What about Level 7 (= Applied) Irish degrees? You can search through CAO and wait til September when their Clearing opens for Fall 2021 start (in October).