A two course summer session is like half a semester, so it looks like he really took 8.5 semesters of school, but within 4 calendar years.
On the other hand, some students take more than 4 calendar years, but only 8 semesters or 12 quarters of school, due to time off for co-op jobs or other reasons.
https://www2.calstate.edu/apply/freshman/getting_into_the_csu/Pages/the-california-promise-program.aspx indicates that many CSUs have a four year graduation pledge program (two year pledge for junior transfers). Typically, it means agreeing to take courses according to your major’s course plan, not changing majors, not failing any courses, and not needing remedial courses, while getting scheduling priority in exchange for signing up for the program.
57% of UCB students and 59% of UCLA students receive (grant or scholarship) financial aid, even off the in-state price (and higher in other UCs, such as 81% at UCR and 89% at UCM). So the idea that something “prevents a majority of students from receiving FA” only applies within a selected demographic (e.g. the “upper middle class” high income people who are overrepresented on these forums). Clearly, the general UC student population does not have a majority that is prevented from receiving financial aid.