Are you in a major metro area? If so you might be able to live at home and attend a public 4 yr to save some $. More expensive than a CC (which would also be a good option if price is prohibitive). If you’re in DFW, UT Arlington, U North Texas, in addition to UT Dallas, and would be likely/safety in terms of acceptance. (Though it looks like UNT % have been dropping). Sam Houston State?
Do you want to go back to Canada for college? I have no idea about costs for Canadian citizens for Canadian colleges, but look into that to see if it would be less expensive.
Small private US colleges might have better aid to bring them down in cost, but this will depend on your residency status and whether you’re considered international.
I also get the sense from friends with kids who’ve been applying to some of the top Texas schools that A&M has also gotten more challenging to get into recently.
You can get a great education, save $$ and set yourself up for transfer at a community college (and increase your chances of getting in to UT or other top schools – just make sure you look into what is required for transfer before you register for classes and keep tabs on what courses the 4-yr schools want for their transfer students)