[OP, I edited your post to add some paragraph breaks to make this easier to read.]
Are your parents against you going OOS because of the distance, the cost, or both? It’s difficult to argue with their reasoning on cost.
You don’t have to major in urban planning as an undergraduate to go into urban planning/land use. Architecture and urban/land use planning are not the same thing. UNCC does have a major in geography, though, with a concentration in urban & regional planning. They also have an environmental studies major and a communication studies major, either of which might have what you want. There’s also a minor in urban studies.
I think a good game plan is to apply as a transfer student to all of these places - UNCC, the three schools you mentioned, and at least two other NC state universities - and see what happens re: your financial aid packages.
Don’t be so sure. My mother, who has truly abysmal credit, was approved for a Parent PLUS loan. This was after they “tightened” up the restrictions, too.
Eh, not necessarily. Assuming that you’re a traditional-aged sophomore in college, you’ll be around 21 or 22 when you finish college, which is still very young. You have your entire life to move to LA or Chicago. Lots of people leave their hometowns or home state after college instead of before.
There’s no specific major/degree that leads to a career in urban planning. Especially not on the undergraduate level.