@thisdudehere In another thread, another person posted this…
SIU-Edwardsville has a well-regarded School of Education, gives merit and has special funding for $0 EFC, and is in a much more attractive location than many of the other directionals. SIUE used to be a commuter school, but it has become more residential over the last decade.
https://www.siue.edu/financialaid/scholarships/institutional.shtml
You should consider applying as a back up school.
Talk to your mom about insurance. You can’t get insurance waived at your school if your mom doesn’t have you covered thru her job. If she can’t afford to add you (which could cost her a couple thousand or more), then you will have to purchase the school insurance.
It is very unlikely that Loyola will be affordable. You can try and see, but it is a financial reach for a 0 EFC, particularly one w/o top stats.