If you move to California and begin a CC immediately (without your parents there), you will be charged non-resident tuition for not only the CC, but also any public university in California. You will be classified as coming to California “for educational purposes” as a non-resident and will pay OOS fees of $65+K at a UC and $42K at a CSU.
If you don’t arrive with parents, to establish residency, you need to independently get a job, maintain a residence (at market rates), in your name, without the help of relatives, and pay California state taxes. You cannot attend a CC or any public college until you have been in California for a year. Your wages from your job must match your expenses.
The Residency Determination Officer, at whatever public university you intend to transfer into, will require every receipt for rent, utilities, transportation and daily living. If something doesn’t match your income, you will be rejected for in-state tuition.
The Residency Determination Date is considered the first day you arrive to California +366 days after that date.
Funds from relatives (or barters/discount rents) will change your independent status to dependent status. Meaning that someone else is paying for you and you will not be considered independent.
If you arrive to California, and initially stay with relatives, then decide to prolong your visit, you will be considered as a dependent student as of the date you arrived to California. Residency status will continue to classify you as OOS.