<p>Dorming is often more expensive but a good idea for freshmen. It gives you a chance to get to know the school, other students, find roommates, and transition from your parents home to living on your own, but with a “safety net”. If you can’t commute, I think the cost difference is worth the price of a dorm. Also, it eliminates the need to find transportation/bring a car, which is an added expense. There are ways to make dorm living more affordable, like requesting a triple/quad instead of a single/double. Don’t sign up for the priciest meal plan if you don’t intend to get up and go down for breakfast every day, etc.</p>
<p>Your EFC suggests you will be eligible for a Pell Grant and states sometimes have grants for kids who qualify for Pell Grants. Look here to see what your state may offer:</p>
<p>[College</a> Zone - Student Zone - College - Financing](<a href=“Illinois Student Assistance Commission”>Illinois Student Assistance Commission)</p>
<p>For low-income students, colleges usually offer state/federal grants, loans and work-study but that probably won’t be enough to meet your need. </p>
<p>I did notice that your state has this program to encourage saving. It looks like a good deal if you qualify: </p>
<p>[DHS:</a> Assets Illinois](<a href=“IDHS: Page Not Found”>IDHS: Page Not Found) </p>
<p>Be sure to look at the financial aid page of each college to which you’re interested and include a college which you know you can afford even if it’s your community college. </p>
<p>Your test scores are in the average range and, usually, most schools don’t offer scholarships for that. Scholarships are offered for high scores or special talents. Low income students usually do best if they have the grades/scores to get into very top schools that are rich (ivy league or top lacs) or if they go to local schools where they can control costs. </p>
<p>By the way, I don’t know if there’s an SAT-optional school that may be a better option for you or if you would do better on the ACT but that may open more options for you.</p>
<p>“By the way, I don’t know if there’s an SAT-optional school that may be a better option for you or if you would do better on the ACT but that may open more options for you.”</p>
<p>what do you mean by that? and thanks for your help! =)</p>
<p>Do you know what you want to study in college? That might help with ideas too.</p>
<p>Roosevelt in Chicago might be worth looking at. A relative went there for grad school, it was affordable and he liked it–not sure what it would be like for undergrad, but might be worth checking out.</p>
<p>possibly business… i keep talking myself out of what i think i would be good at and want to do because i dont think its pratical</p>
<p>i guess in my mind ATM getting accepted and its payment are the same thing. is merit the only scholarships there are then? j/w.</p>
<p>:) Getting accepted and having the money to pay for the costs are two VERY different things. Millions of kids get accepted to schools that they find that they can’t afford to attend.</p>
<p>As for aid that is for “need” (not merit)…</p>
<p>Your EFC will probably be low enough to get some Pell money, BUT IT WON’T be enough to pay for your college costs. You will very likely get gapped. Most schools do NOT have enough money to meet kids’ needs. </p>
<p>For instance…if your EFC is about $3000, then you’ll get about $2600 each year in a Pell Grant. Obviously, that isn’t even enough to pay for your tuition at most schools. </p>
<p>You could also take out a $5500 student loan. </p>
<p>You also need to find out if your parents can pay the $3k (or more) per year for EFC. If they can, then add that in. If then can’t, then that’s a problem.</p>
<p>But, as you can see, $8100 (Pell + loan) isn’t enough to pay for tuition, room, board, books, and fees at most schools. If your parents can pay for their EFC and possibly more, then you’d have more money - maybe enough for room and board - depending on the school.</p>
<p>With $8100 per year, you might be able to cover the costs of a public school that you could commute to. </p>
<p>of course my highest score is the one that will matter the least~ i was kidding…you said writing score really doesn’t matter and i was usually scoring highest in that.</p>
<p>Oh yes…you meant highest section. I see now. :)</p>
<p>*there are maybe a few schools close but most of them would be a drive…couple hours away at least. and out of curiosity, staying in a dorm is cheaper then renting a place near the campus? *</p>
<p>What schools are close enough that you could commute to? How much is the tuition at each nearby school - per year? If none are cheap enough, then you may have to start at a community college. You also need to estimate that books can cost about $1000 per year. </p>
<p>The problem with either choice (dorm or apt) is that you probably won’t have enough money to cover either one.</p>
<p>So…give us the names of schools that are in your area and we’ll figure out if any of them are affordable. </p>
<p>Then give us the names of the schools that you would have to live on campus. We’ll figure out if any of those will work.</p>
<p>Also, find out how much your parents will pay each year.</p>
<p>What I mean is that if you are able to score much higher in the ACTs or if you took really tough courses so that 3.5 is in a bunch of AP courses, you may be able to get some merit scholarship money or you may be accepted to a richer school. </p>
<p>By the way, state grants often require you to stay instate so that helps make instate public colleges even more affordable. </p>
<p>How much have your parents said they can contribute? And are both your parents living with you and do you have any siblings in college? If your parents live in separate households, you may not have a complete picture of your situation yet.</p>
<p>:) your all so helpful. thanks again i really appreciate it.</p>
<p>so there is a community college in my area (its not very good though…) and then theres Olivet. other colleges are about an hour away, at the least, such of Uof I in chicago and others around there. all the others that i know of are a few hours away from my house, but i’ll look into it more. :)</p>
<p>“How much have your parents said they can contribute? And are both your parents living with you and do you have any siblings in college? If your parents live in separate households, you may not have a complete picture of your situation yet.”</p>
<p>I would like to say at least $3000. to me, if they can pay almost that for my siblings to pay soccer maybe they can do it for me too… 
anyways
my parents live together, and i live with them. i dont have any siblings in college (im the oldest :p) </p>
<p>—and idk if it makes a difference or anything but im also home schooled so yeah thought id throw that in</p>
<p>I would like to say at least $3000. to me, if they can pay almost that for my siblings to pay soccer maybe they can do it for me too…</p>
<p>I know that it may seem logical that if your parents will pay $3k for soccer for siblings then they will pay $3k for college for you. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work that way. </p>
<p>You can’t spend a dollar more than once (my dad used to say), so if all the family discretionary income goes towards soccer costs, there may not be any extra money for your college costs.</p>
<p>However, I have no idea. That’s why you have to ASK them. 
so, go do it! :)</p>
<p>Also…find out what your likely EFC is…</p>
<p>Quick EFC
[FinAid</a> | Calculators | QuickEFC](<a href=“Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid”>Quick EFC - Finaid)</p>
<p>Are the family contribution calculators on the College Board site (includes both federal and intstitutional methodologies) more accurate, or is their Federal (FAFSA) one pretty much the same as the one on FinAid.org?</p>
<p>finaid EFC calculator is about 2 years out of date. It used to be the best calculator but they stopped updating it for some reason.</p>
<p>i asked and pretty much got yelled at. my mom said she really has no idea and to just find somewhere and they will see what they can do…so not very helpful to say the least. but anyways i went to FinAid calculator and the college board one. FinAid is saying my EFC is $2839 and college board says $4605 for FM and $4895 for IM.</p>