How to get an affordable degree, need advice?

Minot State doesn’t have an out of state surcharge, offers modest awards, but I believe they would stack any outside aid (like a local community foundation scholarship) and it has a low CoA:
$5,400 tuition/yr
$1,410 fees/yr
$2,440 room/yr

$3,904 board/yr

$13,154
-1,500 minot state auto merit
-5,800 pell grant

-5,500 student loan

   354 (should be able to cover that with some graduation gift money)

Add a summer job and work study to help with books, transportation (you might even know some one with airline miles they’d book a flight for him) and pocket money.

https://www.minotstateu.edu/finaid/cost.shtml
https://www.minotstateu.edu/finaid/scholarships.shtml

Another inexpensive school is Dixie State in Utah. Utah allows students to gain in state residency regardless of where parents live. A gap year working resorts in Utah and this school is another completely doable option without winning a full ride. https://dixie.edu/

You’ll probably be able to find a better option, but rest assured that if college is what he wants, he can do it.

If he wants to get away, but your most affordable option is a commute from home consider a working summer away. Resorts in Utah, Cedar Point on Lake Eerie and other amusement parks offer dorms, plenty of work hours and a lot of ‘dorm life’ with kids his own age, but no homework to be distracted from or grades to mess up.