<p>NCF is NOT a financial safety for the OP because it is contingent on some things that are not in the OP’s control. Like getting a job for 29 hours a week. Also, if he is not living at home, there will be move in expenses, and the costs for room/board if he is living on campus that have to be paid. No dancing around this He may not even be eligible for dorms and certainly not the same level of loans, and maybe even any aid if he is not a full time students, so that is not always a good option when one is counting on full time student awards. I have no idea what the stipulations for BF are in terms of being full time or number of credits, either. But many a student has had a nasty surprise when dropping to part time status in terms of money counted upon with the full time contingency attached.</p>
<p>If he commuted, there is some leeway in that there are no rents, deposits, utilities involved. It’s a continuum from how the student is living right now and he just has to come up with the tuition, fees,books and transportation. With a brother living at home and commuting there, there can be some overlap in terms of transportation expenses. Bear in mind that the brother is getting some money from that school that is NOT guaranteed, so the OP cannot count on getting that from ANY college unless that school has guaranteed amounts for which he is qualified. Sometimes money just dries up in subsequent years, it could be for a specific major, etc, etc. A financial safety has as few contingencies as possible. With BF and the Direct Loan, OP can afford to commute to WFU and if that’s even tight, getting a job to bring down costs further, and going part time is doable. If he goes away to college, like to NCF, there are other things in play that may make it too pricey for him to go there. Like not getting that cheap triple, for example. My son’s school, puts everyone in a lottery for housing regardless of when one was accepted and accepted the offer, so it’s largely chance what ones room assignment will be. Years when there is a large class, there is over flow into upper class housing which is more expensive than the standard double room, and it’s take it or leave it, with no discount if you can’t afford it. </p>