for those of you who are current UC transfer students and had to stay a 3rd year, how did you manage for financial aid? a lot of the aid i see seems to only apply to 2 years of transferring. i plan on double majoring (maybe even triple but that’s another story…) but i was just curious as to how you guys paid for the 3rd year. im low income and can’t afford to pay for a 3rd year on my own tbh unless i get grant aid or something.
also if you traveled abroad, what quarter did you do it in? it seems almost impossible to study abroad as a transfer because of the residency and senior year residency requirements. and then some of the programs im interested in are joint bachelors-masters program that have even more residency requirements…
I graduated in 1 year so I can’t answer from experience, but my advice is this:
1)Make sure you meet the requirements for your primary major within the first 2 years. This way if financial aid is a problem for the 3rd year, then you are still on track to graduate in 2.
2)Do as much overlap as you can between majors. Forget about a 3rd major, that’s a pipe dream. Only UC lifers do that. (Lifers = students who are there 4+ years after transfer. They are permanent students.)
3) Get academic advisement during your first semester to get the best guidance on navigating 2 majors. Also Speak to counselors in both departments. Be up front and candid so they understand your goals. Make advisement appointments at least 2 times per year if not each quarter.
4) Speak with financial aid early and often. Again be upfront about your goals. Ask all your questions and get as much as you can in writing.
^ I completely agree.
Especially emphasizing ex-nay on the triple major. Not happening as a transfer. You are better off placing that effort and eagerness towards a graduate degree–regardless of your goals.
As far as traveling abroad, there really is no set time frame since so many variables depend on which courses are available / where you want to go, but a popular plan is to go the summer or fall after graduating. Your advisors won’t have an issue of extending your academic stay for the purposes of enrichment. (Especially since you actually wont be taking another person’s spot on campus in that case.)
Also while federal financial aid usually does drop off after your 4th semester / 6th quarter, there are still UC-provided alternatives that can still subsidize your study abroad under a 5th semester/7-8th quarter. You won’t necessarily pay for the whole thing out of pocket. Confirm with the financial aid office once you are at your eventual UC campus.