Question

complete the text with the better word.
alec wanted to attend an out - of - state college, ___ his parents encouraged him to stay close to home.
so but

Explanation:

The two clauses present conflicting ideas: Alec wants to go to an out-of-state college, while his parents want him to stay local. "But" is used to connect contrasting statements, whereas "so" indicates a cause-and-effect relationship which does not fit here.

Answer:

but