How do we locate the schools with the best merit aid

I would recommend that your dd research the teaching licensing laws in the various states where she think she might want to live and find out about reciprocity agreements/additional requirements to get licensed vs. the state where she might attend school. Typically, teachers are licensed in a state and she might face additional steps in order to get licensed in another state. It is just something she might want to be aware of upfront. I did a quick google and found this. I didn’t read it, though. http://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/teaching-careers/teaching-license-reciprocity-explained/

Terminology will also help you in your research. Full-ride means that tuition, room, and board are covered. Full tuition covers the cost of tuition. Bama does not offer a straight full-ride for a 34. They offer full tuition. This site sells a download with hundreds of university based scholarships. It is clunky and hard to manipulate, but it is organized by state and is a solid starting point. http://www.mykidscollegechoice.com/full-scholarship-list/

FWIW, my 2 current college students are attending full-ride and very close to full-ride. It is possible, but I spent hours researching options and helping them decide where they were competitive for the more competitive scholarships. Our budget is very similar to yours, and as a heads up, even full-tuition will not get you down that low at many schools. For example, our dd received a full-tuition scholarship from Fordham, but that still left us facing close to $20,000/yr. It may take full-tuition+ (similar to UAH) to get you within your budget.