Any schools in Nevada with engineering? Any that you could commute to?
Your budget is the $6 k your parents can pay, the $5,500 student loan, and any merit you can get.
Plus working, you have some choices in that budget.
You might look at Utah state as instate tuition (establishable after yr 1 with apparent ease) is probably a better deal than WUE if you get merit. The U of Utah may not give you any merit of engineering. but it is worth a look if WUE math works. AGain that really depends on clarification of your Reno 16K being tution or including R&B. All schools are going to cost 10K+ a yr for dorms. If that cost is excludable in your home state then that is your obvious choice. You are probably too late for merit this year at many places. The U of Utah is dec but Utah state might be more flexible.
It sounds like you should be eligible for the Millenium Scholarship, too. That would provide another $80 per credit as long as you are taking enough credits at a qualified school. Ask at your high school if you don’t know your status.
New Mexico Tech is another option. I do not know how their merit aid and OOS tuition are now but in the past they have been generous. Unless I’m reading things wrong, it looks like OOS tuition costs all in are $17,000. http://www.nmt.edu/tuition-and-fees
Very respected engineering school and well known in the engineering community.
Your EFC looks about right, the assets are bringing that up. And it’s a family of 3.
Gross income can be lower than his actual income, the difference could be that your dad contributed 13,000 to his 401k last year which is entirely possible. Even though he didn’t pay taxes on his 401k (or it could be partly a contribution to a HSA), that money is added back into your income and is counted as part of what they can pay for college in the FAFSA.