We’re happy to provide advice, but you need to provide more information. $40,192 tuition and fees (don’t forget yearly increases) + $2,612 health insurance + $1,262 books/supplies + $18,000 annual living expenses = $62,066/year.
How will you come up with this much money? How much do you have saved right now? How much are you expecting in government aid? How much do you expect to earn while going to school full time?
It’s not a conservative (or, for that matter, liberal or any other point on the political spectrum) point of view. It’s called reality. Wishing it to be something that it’s not will not help you.
You’ve probably already seen this, but in case you haven’t
http://ucop.edu/residency/establishing-residency.html
@BelknapPoint You’re right let me fill in the additional info. I will have roughly $17,000 saved upon moving to California and will hopefully be getting a job slightly above my current salary range of 35K. Using Berkeley’s FA estimate calculator I’ll be receiving roughly $21,886.00.
One major detail that I haven’t mentioned is I started attending college at 16 at the Univeristy of Houston. I have Junior status in college credits so I only have roughly 4 maybe 5 semesters at Berkeley depending on my degree plan and course translations.
If it comes down to it I can ask my brother for a loan but I’m trying to avoid doing anything like that.
I will likely get a marriage on paper to establish residency before asking my brother for a loan. That is the reality of the situation, we live in a country where some people have to get married to afford tuition.
@khmama OMG thank you! I actually hadn’t seen that.
@MaineLonghorn Elaborate?
My understanding is that California public schools no longer provide institutional financial aid to OOS students. Is this FA estimate based on your hoped-for instate status? If it is, what is your back-up plan in the (very likely) event that your denied instate status?
@BelknapPoint No, this is based on me being an out of state student. The calculated amount doesn’t change when I edit my residency. Do you have a source for that?
Additionally, I have been in constant communication with the advisor handling my appeal and he has more or less promised me it will be approved.
No. You could finish your college course work and get a degree for a fraction of what Berkeley will cost you. Your problem isn’t the cost of tuition. It’s your single-minded focus on getting a degree from Berkeley.
What appeal, the financial independence thing? That won’t change the fact that you’re still an OOS student. It may get you a full Pell grant and more federal loans, but it won’t do anything for institutional FA as an OOS student.
@BelknapPoint Trust me I went into this very open-minded. I have spent the past 10 months preparing and applying to many schools in many states. I have narrowed down my selection and chosen Berkeley. The discussion now is affording it.
Sorry, I misread your comment thinking you were referencing my independent status appeal. I’m aware of the info provided in your comment.
I understand, but it’s your choice to enroll at an expensive OOS school. Your comment about having to get married in order to afford tuition is ridiculous when you have options that are much less costly.
@BelknapPoint What better way to encourage our nation to continue with a future of wealth inequality than discouraging students with financial hardships from attending schools that will make them the best human they can be.
I didn’t come to College Confidential for speculation from strangers, I can for direction to sources and information I can utilize to better myself.
Thank you for your input! 
Please provide a breakdown of this $21,886 in FA. Where is it coming from?
Expected Family Contribution:$6,754.00
Grant Award: $21,886.00
Student Loan and Work: $32,708.00
Estimated Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition and Fees+$16,012.00
Room and Board+$9,764.00
Books and Supplies+$1,240.00
Other Expenses+$2,870.00
Non-Resident Tuition+$24,708.00
Total Cost of Attendance:$54,594.00
Grant Award:-$21,886.00
Estimated Net Cost:$32,708.00
Of course I won’t be receiving any family aid however room and board and other expenses will be decreased as I will be living off campus. The remaining costs are the issue which I will handle by working full time.
Oh, give me a break. Only by graduating from Berkeley can you be “the best human being you can be”? Really? Here’s a clue: it’s not about the school you graduate from. It’s about you. This will be a very expensive lesson for you, but sometimes that’s what it takes. Good luck.
@BelknapPoint I don’t understand why you’re so opposed to me attending Berkeley. If I can attain in state status, (which is likely) it will be the same cost as going to my own state school.
If you’re a student there please let me know as I hope there aren’t many people with your deconstructive mindset where I’m going.
I’m sure you will go far in life with the mindset that doing something difficult just isn’t worth it.
I’m not “opposed” to it. You asked for advice. I’ve been giving it. You clearly have been supplied information in this thread that you were not previously aware of, that will impact your budget. We see students all the time on CC who have “dream schools” that they want to attend, costs be damned. This description fits you to a T. You’re thinking with your heart and not your head.
Working with clients on a daily basis I often am faced with the issue of telling them about the multitude of issues with their sites and ad campaigns, but I’m not doing them any good if I only point out the issue and don’t provide them with solutions.
You are providing me with my issues, (of which I’m aware) but not providing me with solutions.
I think you have incorrectly labeled me and am just as determined to avert me from attending Berkeley as I am in attending there. If I attend Berkeley with instate tuition it will be no different financially than if I attend the University of Texas. And if I can’t get instate tuition I will leave with $30,000 - $50,000 dollars in student loans. Slightly above average but if you consider the statistics a sound investment in the long run.
Not likely. Unlikely. Ignore the clear evidence and testimony at your own peril.
I am not a current student and I did not attend Berkeley, although I know plenty of people who have and I have lived in the Bay Area. I do have a wide breadth of life experiences, which allows me to give you some of the advice that you have asked for. Given the limitations of the internet and my desire to remain anonymous, it will be understandably difficult to convince you of this, and I will not publish my curriculum vitae for you.
You know nothing about me and the things that I have achieved in life. You have no ability or right to judge me. If you don’t want advice from strangers that you may not like, then don’t go around asking for it on an internet forum. The proper thing to do in your position is to ignore my advice if you don’t like it, instead of attacking the messenger.