I have a very, very low EFC and was not given enough aid by UCLA to cover my need. You will probably (like me) be awarded Blue and Gold, which will take care of your tuition and fees, and then maybe a Pell Grant and/or Cal Grant. You will probably end up with some amount of loans, but it doesn’t have to be a huge amount. I’m only taking out around $2k this first year. But keep in mind that Regents and need-based aid aren’t the only options out there. Try applying for scholarships at your CC, scholarships from outside organizations, and when you’re accepted, scholarships at the UC you’ll be attending. They may have scholarships just for incoming transfer students, but can be kind of poorly-advertised if they’re not Regents, but they’re out there! I wouldn’t direct all of your energies on Regents, especially for Cal/UCLA, where these scholarships will be very selective. It may be better to apply to a lot of other scholarships that you may have a better chance of being given.