<p>First of all, you’ll need to apply for financial aid and THEY will tell YOU what your “determined need” is. Your family doesn’t get to decide how much they will spend.</p>
<p>You say that your family can only pay $22k, but the colleges may say that your family should pay $35k. That would be a problem</p>
<p>You will get an FA package before you have to commit, but that isn’t the main concern.</p>
<p>Most colleges don’t meet need. Most put loans or gaps in their financial aid packages, so having “need” doesn’t mean a lot at most colleges. </p>
<p>Often, only the top schools can meet need. </p>
<p>Private schools generally give out money</p>
<p>Many schools are less likely to be financially generous to students who don’t have great stats. As much as we’d like to think that colleges are a charity, they aren’t. They give money to those who help them look good in the rankings. </p>
<p>That’s why a high-stats student with the same “need” will often get a better financial aid package that a low-stats kid will the same “need.”</p>
<p>As someone with an ACT 22, you probably would not inspire a college to give you great need aid.</p>
<p>But…all is not lost. You need to get your ACT up. Take the SAT, too. You may do better on that. If you then get into UIUC, then the costs will be about $27k. You’ll likely have to take out a small loan and/or do some work/study to supplement what your parents can’t cover.</p>