Maybe this example will help your parents to understand how much college costs have increased. WAY more than the cost of living:
current COA at LSU for instate - $32,000
1984 COA at LSU for instate - ~$3,000 (when I started)
It’s just not even close to the same situation. It’s time they learned the new landscape of college costs.
Also, be careful about your merit money - part of that may actually be work-study, so look at the wording carefully. work-study will not help you pay for the direct costs, it means you ‘might’ get a job which will pay you money to pay for incidental expenses.