Apartment living may be better than dorm living. There is no guarantee. Get a firm commitment. You may need to lighten your normal load and go to summer school in order to graduate in four years. You can take graduate courses and maintain your eligibility.
Financial aid is available on a one-year renewable basis.
It is important to know if a school has a commitment to assist student-athletes for more than a year after they have been injured. If you intend to participate in Division I or II athletics as a freshman in college, you must be registered with and be certified as eligible by the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse. I athletics and has no bearing on your admission to a particular Division I or II institution. You should register with the clearinghouse whenever you decide you would like to participate in athletics as a college freshman. It's generally best to register anytime before participation.