Don’t forget that the UC’s are very expensive for non-residents. Tuition and fees add up to about $67,000 per year. The UC’s are funded by state taxpayers, so there’s no extra money to go around for non-residents. Scholarships do exist but they’re very competitive and they’re for very minimal dollars ($2k-$5k).
I do have a concern, given your history of low grades, and having to repeat courses. Most of the UC‘s are on a quarter system, which means you have 10 weeks to prove yourself within a course. The UC‘s are very competitive schools and have some of the best students in the country. A number of students have perfect grades without having to repeat classes. Some of the general education courses, at the UC’s, have huge numbers of students in their classrooms (200 to 500 in some). The pace of the courses is very rapid covering intense material.
If you’ve been having difficulties, in high school, how will you meet the pace and the competitiveness of a UC school? That’s my concern for you; it’s a lot of money for a nonresident student.