I commend you for being pro-active about your education and financial future. Not every senior student approach college prep the way you do. I heard CA has the best cc and public universities and from reading your post, you have applied to them. I hope you will get good FA without too many loans but with more grants and scholarships. There are outside scholarships that you can apply. Its just a matter of investing time and perseverance on your part. Good luck to you and best wishes on your college applications!