Merit is going to be tricky. To get the cost down to $20,000 or less you will need a full tuition scholarship…or close to it. In my opinion Binghamton would be a good option for you. It should be affordable with the $5500 loan and a summer job. Will you qualify for financial aid or are you only looking for merit? Have you used the NPCs for schools that meet need?
Use the NPCs for these schools and see if they are affordable:
Wake Forest
University of Richmond
Lehigh
Take a look at the merit given at Pitt, Richmond, Ohio State, U of SC. It’s not guaranteed, and it may not be enough, but it’s a place to begin. Also take a look at the U of Vermont.