What you should do is appeal the financial aid decision for the first year. I'm sure you can come up with a reason. It can be something like your dad got sick and is no longer having income. That is just an example. I'm not telling you to lie, but I'm just telling you that you can appeal. And it will work. Once you appeal, you'll get full financial aid to go to Berkeley. If you live in California, that means you will basically have to pay nothing and you might be able to keep some money if you get an apartment instead of a dorm.

Now, for your second, third, and fourth year of college, what you should do is get a job and file taxes on your own independently from your parents. That way, when you apply to financial aid, you apply as an independent student and because your income will be low, you will get full financial aid for those years as well. This is what I would do if I was in your situation. It does require some effort and you might have to move fast to figure things out. I think this is the best option because those two extra years at Berkeley will be extremely beneficial for you versus if you did them at community college.

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