Transfer student Alexis Acosta followed her curiosity to UC. Here’s how she paid for college.

Alexis Acosta took her time coming to UC. Growing up in a fundamentalist religious community in California's Inland Empire, education wasn't a priority, and college was outright discouraged. But when Acosta learned about the Enlightenment and the Scientific Revolution in a high school European History class, her eyes opened to the idea that science can be a foundation for your values. She dove into community college after graduating from high school, soaking up as much knowledge as she could.

As an on-again, off-again student balancing school, work and caring for her disabled mother, Acosta spent eight years at San Bernardino Valley College. In that time, she earned two associate degrees and explored every possible major. Her goal was to follow her intellectual curiosity wherever it flowed, in a kind of counterbalance to her earlier years. She took computer science, accounting, math, chemistry, physics - you name it. But when she had exhausted the course catalog, she knew it was time to transfer.

"Transferring was always the goal," says Acosta. "But I was very scared of what it was going to cost. I just assumed I was going to take on debt. But when I got my financial aid package, it was much more affordable than I had anticipated."

After filling out the FAFSA, Acosta received a combination of grants and scholarships - money she won't ever need to pay back - and augmented those funds with work-study hours and low-interest loans. "Yes, I do have a small amount of debt, but the UC system did provide enough financial aid that I was able to go and study comfortably."

"Outside of my financial aid package, there are so many avenues to make sure that I'm taken care of financially," explains Costa. "There are a lot of resources on campus so that if I ever am in a place of struggle, I don't have to be alone. I'm not running on blind faith - I know there is support."

In her work-study job as a transfer student peer mentor in UC Riverside's College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Acosta gets paid to help others who are facing some of the same hurdles she did. "When you come in as a transfer, it's like you're a freshman and a junior at the same time. It's so helpful to be welcomed into a community and get tips right off the bat on how to be successful. My mentors helped me, so it's great to come back around and become a mentor helping others."

Acosta's wide academic exposure in community college and her work experience in the business world have been assets to her as a UC student, helping her connect with more people and maximize her time on campus. Her plan is to continue her studies at the graduate level, with the aim of eventually teaching science or running her own lab. "It's definitely been worth it, making the sacrifices to come to UC," she says. "It's been an experience that I wouldn't trade for the world."