How do I afford a CSU as a transfer student with no family support?

[Cler]

I'm 21, I've been putting myself through community college for three years, and I'm finally ready to transfer to a CSU. But the cost is hitting me like a truck. I work 30 hours a week and still can barely afford rent and food. How am I supposed to pay for a four-year university?

My financial situation:

• No family support (estranged from parents)
• Work 30 hours at a coffee shop ($16/hr)
• Current monthly expenses: rent ($800), food ($300), transportation ($150), other ($200)
• Savings: about $2,000

CSU costs I'm looking at:

• Tuition and fees: ~$7,500/year
• Housing: ~$15,000/year (if I'm lucky)
• Books and supplies: ~$1,500/year
• Food, transportation, etc.: ~$5,000/year
• TOTAL: around $29,000/year

Scholarships I'm pursuing:

Cal Grant B

• Provides up to $1,672/year for living expenses plus tuition coverage
• Requires FAFSA by March 2

Chafee Grant for Foster Youth (not applicable for me, but good info for others)

• Up to $5,000/year for students who were in foster care

CSU campus scholarships

• Each CSU has foundation scholarships
• Some are specifically for transfer students
• Deadlines vary by campus — need to check each one

External scholarships

• Jack Kent Cooke Foundation — $55,000/year (dream big)
• Horatio Alger — up to $25,000
• Point Foundation — for LGBTQ students
• First-Gen Scholarships — many exist

Work options:

• On-campus jobs (usually more flexible with class schedules)
• Work-study (need to qualify via FAFSA)
• Full-time summer work to save for the year

A transfer student told me: "Apply for EVERYTHING. Even if you think you won't get it. Even $500 helps" . So that's my plan — apply to everything, work as much as I can, and hope it's enough.

For other transfer students with no family support: how are you doing it? What scholarships actually came through? What am I missing? I need all the advice I can get.