<p>For most students who receive substantial financial aid, UVa expects them to take out about $25,000 of federal loans over their 4 years. That is called a loan cap, and it does not guarantee that more loans may be needed, depending upon your own circumstances (such as high travel costs). If you choose to take out private loans, they do not count towards the loan cap. A work study job during the school year will probably also be part of the financial aid offer. </p>
<p>If you can attend Berkeley or UCLA with little debt and without needing to work during the school year, I’d choose that. You can then save your debt capacity for graduate school (which may be on the East Coast) or to do interesting unpaid internships (which may allow one or more summers on the East Coast). For example, there are many programs available for summer internships in DC (some of which may be run by the U. of California). </p>
<p>Don’t forget to carefully consider travel costs. For instance, test out how much it would cost to fly from California to Charlottesville before Thanksgiving or Christmas. The next closest airports are Richmond and Dulles. Last time I checked, there was not any bus service connecting Dulles to Charlottesville, although some students catch a ride with students who live nearby.</p>
<p>I believe that California state grants for college can only be used in California. That may make a big difference in finances. Many students overlook that factor - that they may miss out on large amounts of money per year from their own state if they go out of state. The rules of these grant programs vary from state to state.</p>
<p>Also, I’m under the impression that UVa does not have a large Latino student population. (Instead, it has a large Asian and Asian-American student enrollment.) That may matter to you, or it may not.</p>