Realize a good merit scholarship could be say $20,000 a year. That brings a $65,000 School to $45,000.
Realize that isn’t bonus money on top of your need. Rather it replaces loans, work study, etc.
Now if it’s an OOS public that costs $42,000 and they give you $20,000 your net cost is $22,000.
Run the financial calculators at schools and see what they show. Then research merit you can qualify for…