It doesn’t sound to me like you have financial need. Your dad’s salary in CA gave you an EFC of $17k. If you’re an only child, that means he was making ~$90k in CA. Since “his current job pays slightly less than the one he had in CA,” it’s unlikely that you’ll qualify for any Pell money. Pell grants are given to US citizens based on income; they’re not based on grades, your work ethic, merit, or state residency. Your family either qualifies or it doesn’t. If you’re an only child, your dad’s [url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/troyonink/2014/11/28/2015-guide-to-fafsa-css-profile-college-financial-aid-and-expected-family-contribution-efc/]AGI[/url] would have to be under ~$55k for you to qualify for even a small Pell grant. If your dad’s income dropped low enough so you qualify for federal grants, then you should take a gap year so that your FAFSA reflects your dad’s current, lower income and not the higher income he was making in CA.
Do you plan to commute to [url=http://finaid.ucf.edu/applying/app_costs.html]UCF[/url] or live on campus? As a state resident, you’d be paying ~$7k for tuition and books if you commute; dorming would cost over $17k. Transfers generally don’t get much aid, so your best option might be to commute. If your parents can’t help you at all, you could cover that with the federal student loan (~$5500/year) and summer work earnings. But you need to wait until you’re considered a state resident to apply if you want in state rates.