Then it’s up to her to fix that problem by shifting the focus of her list. It’s not OP’s problem if the daughter has been admitted to an affordable school but refuses to attend – that’s the daughter’s problem. She always has the option of getting a job if she doesn’t like any of her college choices come August.
I understand the OP’s parental angst – but there is a limit to what parents can and should do for their kids. Assuring that there is a safety is one thing – controlling how the student feels about the safety is quite another, and will only create more conflict between parent and child. This shouldn’t turn into a battle of wills between father and daughter. It should be a matter of daughter having the ability to choose among available options at the appropriate time.
The father can pay $X toward school, and has identified a school that appears affordable. In May (assuming that the Duke ED thing doesn’t work out) – the daughter will have one or more affordable options. I think the father is right to guide and encourage the daughter to take measures to make the “more” into a reality – but I don’t think it’s his obligation to make it happen.