Do out-of-state schools offer state grants like California schools do with my Pell Grant?

State grants r usually only 4 residents of that state. Ur daughter probably got Cal Grant which is only for CA residents attending CA schools. Out of state students almost always pay way more

You're asking about state grants specifically, so here's how it generally works: 1. Most states (including Colorado) reserve their state grant programs for their own residents attending in-state institutions 2. California's Cal Grant programs are specifically for California residents attending California institutions 3. Your daughter's Pell Grant will follow her to any eligible institution nationwide 4. Some states have reciprocity agreements with neighboring states, but California and Colorado don't have such an arrangement Expect the Colorado package to be significantly different because: - You'll be charged out-of-state tuition (often 2-3x higher than in-state) - You won't qualify for Colorado state grants - Your daughter will still get her federal aid (Pell, federal loans, etc.) A few select private institutions offer good aid packages regardless of residency, but public universities like CU Boulder typically have limited aid for out-of-state students.

when my son went to Arizona State we had to pay full out of state tuition even tho were from Nevada. The only state money he got was from our home state and it was tiny like $1200. The rest was just federal money and loans but his friends from AZ got big state grants

Just to add another perspective - some states DO have special scholarships for high-achieving out-of-state students. Colorado has the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program that gives tuition discounts to students from certain western states including California. BUT your daughter would have needed to apply specifically for this program and it's competitive. If she didn't specifically apply for WUE, then yes, expect to pay full out-of-state tuition with no Colorado state grants.

I work in college advising and can confirm that state grants are virtually always limited to residents. The only exceptions are sometimes for border counties or regional exchange programs like the WUE someone mentioned. Here's what most students don't realize: when you see the MASSIVE difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition at public universities, that difference IS essentially the state grant. California taxpayers subsidize UC/CSU education for residents - that subsidy just shows up as lower tuition rather than a separate "grant" line item. Out-of-state students pay the true cost of education without the state subsidy. That's why the difference can be $25,000+ per year. When comparing financial aid packages, make sure you're looking at the final net cost after all grants and scholarships, not just the grant amounts themselves.

Has anyone here had luck calling FAFSA or schools to get exceptions or additional aid? I spent TWO DAYS trying to get through to someone at Federal Student Aid to ask about our options for out-of-state tuition assistance and kept getting disconnected or put on eternal hold. So frustrating!!

my niece went to boulder and her parents had to pay full out of state tution even tho they had good income my bro said it cost them like $50K a year with everything!! but she loved it there if thats any help lol

DONT FORGET to check if your student can establish residency after freshman year!! Some states allow this and it can SAVE YOU A TON in years 2-4!!! Colorado has a process for this but you have to plan ahead - your daughter would need to live there year-round (even summers), get a CO drivers license, register to vote there, etc.

One more thing to consider: Cal Grants require you to be a California resident not just when you apply, but continuously throughout your education. If your daughter establishes residency elsewhere for ANY reason, she could lose California state aid if she ever transfers back to a CA institution. Just something to keep in mind for future planning.

As someone who went through this exact situation a few years ago, I can tell you that Colorado will likely be much more expensive than your CA options. My son was accepted to CU Boulder and we're California residents too. Even with his decent Pell Grant, the final cost was about $35K more per year compared to our UC options because of the out-of-state tuition and lack of Colorado state grants. What really helped us make the decision was creating a spreadsheet comparing the total 4-year costs after all aid. Don't forget to factor in higher travel costs for visits home, storage over summers if she can't come back to CA, and potentially higher living costs in Boulder. That said, if your daughter is set on CU Boulder and it has a program that's significantly better than the CA schools, it might still be worth it - just go in with realistic expectations about the financial commitment!