Maybe, but we know that the students have to choose a profession that reflects what they study: Attack Magic Operative, Fire Platoon, Sabers etc. and Squall never seemed to me as a magic kinda guy so maybe Garden provided him with a Gunblade when he chose to be in the Saber group. Seeing as Squall has no parents and no fortune of his own, this is highly probable. Also, students can choose to live at their homes instead of the dorms in Garden.