What is the process to transfer to a new PhD program for next year after starting a PhD program this year?

[transfering_question]

Hi! I am in a situation where my SO just started her first year of her PhD on the west coast. We met right after she applied to schools (nearly a year of dating), and I am on the east coast. So now the geography has made dating difficult and we are both older. For those of you who have transferred or know of others, we are curious of the timeline:

1. Do you have to apply to a brand new program fresh in the fall to transfer?
2. Can you apply to transfer at the end of the first year (spring) to look to transfer and start a new program in the fall? Or is this not likely?
3. Will having funding from fellowships like NSF / NDSEG enable you get into a program easier? Let's say she does not apply to a new school in the fall but instead gets an NSF / NDSEG fellowship. Can she then reach out to schools in the spring and let them know she has funding to potentially start there (maybe with a streamlined app)?

Would be great to hear from anyone has done this what they successfully did and any tips. Thanks!