Even if it's possible, it's not advisable to format the SD card as adoptable storage (which is the name for what you're asking). You'll lose performance in longer load/save times, because SD cards are not as fast as internal storage.
The biggest concern is reliability. The way Android operates, apps are constantly writing to internal storage, which is able to handle it. SD cards are not designed for such frequent writing and re-writing, and will fail rather quickly if used as adoptable storage and having your apps stored on it. When it fails, you'll lose all data on the card at least. It may result in having to factory reset the tablet and start everything from scratch. Anything not backed up could be lost.
While not directly related to adoptable storage, most devices are sold in tiers. Low end devices have low storage, low RAM, low spec processors, etc. Mid range devices have mid level specs all around, and flagships are top of the line all around. So if you're buying a low end 8 GB device, chances are it'll also have older/weaker specs on everything else. You may think you are saving money by buying a low storage device and simply adding on an SD card, but you'll experience a lot more lag and may even have questionable customer support. So even if space was a non-issue, a low end device could set you up for a lot of headaches.