When they went to school in the 90’s UF cost only a few thousand per year and they could borrow that. Now it costs much more and a student can only borrow $5500 for freshman year. You are VERY lucky that Florida public schools are so cheap and that you can attend with BF and the $5500 loan. The more money you can contribute through working, the more choices you have.
If you want to go to Alabama, that’s going to mean you aren’t going to go home often. If you want to be closer to home, you are going to have more limited choices (but because of BF, you have a lot more).
Even if Michigan or Texas would have the kind of FA that Alabama does (and they don’t) those schools are still far away and there is no such thing as a ‘short, cheap’ plane ride from Florida to Michigan. It is always a 5-6 hour trip.