I agree with what others have said that your choices should not be coming down to UIUC or UA. Personally I would focus on applying to privates where you can get merit aid over UIUC where you’re not likely to get much.
You will want to apply to a range of schools. If you get NMF, apply to one or two automatic merit safeties. Look at the list someone above already gave a link for. Keep in mind that the Alabama one is great but doesn’t cover everything, it’s not a full ride. There maybe be another school on the list that you also want to apply to (or at least look at) that covers more. Research the possibilities.
Also, you will want to apply to schools with some competitive merit and with good financial need based aid.
You apply (watch the deadlines for scholarships and make sure to check which have separate applications for competitive scholarships) and then you will get offers that include merit and financial need scholarships. You will see how much you will have to pay before you choose which college you want to go to.
In no universe is being low income considered a hook.
CS at UIUC is extremely competitive - single digit acceptance rates so it’s like getting into Harvard. You need to cast a wider net and not bank on acceptance there regardless of cost. The great thing about CS is you will have many job opportunities no matter where you study so I would also focus on not going into debt.
CS is one field where your actual proven abilities matter much more than what college you go to. Your future employer will be more impressed by your personal GitHub projects and your ability to refactor code they give you or solve a systems architecture problem, than the ranking of the college you have a degree from. So I agree with focus on: not taking on much debt, and being at a school where you can develop your skills.
Since your family makes less thant 65K, you’ll get a free ride (no loans) at Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, HarveyMudd, Davidson, Haverford, Amherst…
So you’ll have lots of choices.
For now, focus on this:
http://www.questbridge.org/for-students/cps-college-prep-scholars-program
It’s too early to make any of these kinds of decisions. Apply to a range of schools:
-Top-tier schools that meet 100% of financial need
-Great schools at which you are in the top 25% of applicants and can be offered big merit aid
-Some of your state’s public universities - UIUC for sure but I would recommend choosing at least one other one
Right now you should be focused on exploring a variety of different colleges and expanding your list, not narrowing it. Leave the decision-making to next spring.
For a family income of $60K with no home equity and only 1 child in college, here are the College Board Net Price Calculator’s estimated prices I get for several “elite” private schools (after deducting need-based aid but before deducting for any work-study or student loans):
$9735 Northwestern
$8500 Notre Dame
$6767 UChicago
$5925 UPenn
Your Mileage May Vary.
Harvard/Yale/Princeton/Stanford may offer lower net prices. Or, as an NM finalist, you may be eligible for a full ride from certain state universities such as Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, or Nebraska.
http://publicuniversityhonors.com/2013/04/20/best-major-universities-for-national-merit-scholarship-funding/
If you’re not an NM finalist, then even after an automatic merit scholarship from a school like Alabama, your net price may be somewhat higher than it would be at a private school that offers generous need-based aid.
http://scholarships.ua.edu/types/out-of-state.html
Even with the NM finalist package from Alabama, it appears that after the first year, your net prices might be higher than at some selective private schools.
http://scholarships.ua.edu/nationalscholars/
So consider a variety of options.
Some private schools give greatly reduced tuition and also NMF credit (like Vanderbilt). Keep that in mind as you decide where to apply. Also check your states reciprocity agreements- you should get reduced tuition in nearby states.
http://msep.mhec.org/about
Okay I talked to my parents. We actually make about 75k, but no home equity and 1 sister
With those financials, IF admitted to a top private school you will likely received free tuition (and for sure at Rice, Stanford and Princeton).
I think that there is lots of good advice here about researching colleges with good CS and CSE programs that would not expect your family to pay very much because of their income level. The colleges that offer free rides for NMF may not be the best ones for your major. Besides, you may not have a choice if this test prep company is correct with its predictions:
http://www.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/national-merit-semifinalist-cutoffs/