At the schools with merit scholarships, do the merit scholarships require a high GPA to renew, or are tied to a specific major? If so, she needs to consider whether being unable to renew the scholarship will force her to transfer to a lower cost school.
Was the price limit discussed before applications were made, and the more expensive schools are now just at the price limit after applying the scholarships?
Of course, which specific schools, and her academic interests, can matter significantly. In some threads, what the OP considered to be the less desirable school appeared to be a better match for his/her academic interests (in terms of strength of majors that s/he was interested in).