I did assume your dad may be a pastor when you mentioned self employed.
I do think you will want to keep away from debt as much as possible. If you do raise your PSAT to NM status, you most likely will have some more affordable options.
Sorry I didn’t spell out that UA was Univ of Alabama. Some sometimes think about Arizona with the designation. If you have lurked on CC long enough, you would uncover how the OOS merit scholarships and the growth in facilities and faculty in STEM has made UA very popular with cost-consciousness while seeking an OOS school option. Here is a good explanation of how this has come to be: