There are OOS schools that give need but don’t ensure need is met but unc and uva do but you might be left with loans - which are not handouts.
This is where you are smarter to sub out the UIUCs of the world. You’ll get in but what’s the point. You can’t afford to go.
Better to apply to a Richmond or Lafayette - larger but not quite 5k LACs - who meet need. But again you need to have your folks run the NPC. What you want and what they say you need to pay aren’t necessarily the same. If you’re in Knoxville or the Tri city areas, then the hop up to the Northeast isn’t too bad. A school like Dickinson, while not large or sporty enough, meets need and will be solid in your area.
When you have a tight budget, it wins unfortunately and you have to make sacrifices.
Of course if you get into UTK, and it works for you - then great. You’ll be far from the only one there who chooses it over an elite. I remember a great conversation I had with a food server the other year - chose it over Northwestern because of affordability.
The issue with UTK and net price is - you may get last mile based on your income/assets - they keep moving the goal post - so free tuition plus $500 I believe. So you then have room and board which shows over $13k.
Then there’s books and spending money.
I would just triple check with them to see what you’re eligible for based on income (not sure), merit, Hope and Teacher’s Scholarship. Moreso on what’s combinable. Reading the teacher contract it doesn’t mention combinability.
You might also ask in regards to outside scholarships. If it’s merit, usually you can bring them in. But if you are getting the last mile, it’s need - and outside scholarships may then cause a reduction of the need element.
Please make sure to understand your exact situation with all these scholarships and then ask if outside $$ would reduce these.
With merit, hope, teacher and last mile, there’s a lot of money there - if they all work together. But you need to triple check. My guess is last mile sort of fills in the gap from what’s left tuition wise but not room and board wise.
As one noted early, you might also look into Questbridge. It has an early deadline but if you qualify, it’d be a home run.
Best of luck.
btw - no matter where you go, there will be far more clubs than you’ll be able to get involved with. It sounds great on paper to do 5 or 10, etc. regularly - but it’s not the reality. And whether a school has 1K kids or 40K, they’ll have enough clubs to interest you I’m sure.