I think the income level of around $100K or a little above is the worst place to be with regards to affordability. Living in a any metro area of CA, that income just does not allow a family to contribute much, if any, to the school expenses. You’re not poor enough to get aid, and not rich enough to pay for it yourself. It also doesn’t feel right that the UC Regents awards, while stating that it’s merit-based, is also need-based. It seems like a student will need to have great grades, and also be “poor” to get any awards these days.