I wanted to add that I have now run some net price calculators and I may be making incorrect assumptions about financial aid. So, that might be in the mix too.
I also reread my OP, and realized I said this:
That was a typo. What I mean to write was that he doesn’t like academic competitions. He only likes athletic ones. But that’s not really accurate either, because he likes robotics competitions. He like robotics competitions, and team sports. I think what he really doesn’t like is individual academic competition – things like a math competition.