hi there - i think its a good thing you are thinking about college and costs now. Stay on this forum and read, read read.
But, please know that things do change. eg: A few years ago when I first started looking there was a college that automatically gave free tuition (Temple) for kids with 32 ACTs I believe; now they DON’T offer that. Same with a few other colleges. Things change! and colleges are becoming more stingy I think. But with that in mind, you can see what the trends are and figure out how to direct your kiddo; and encourage her to do her best in HS.