<p>Just a suggestion since he wants to stay in California. The Claremont Colleges - includes Harvey Mudd (excellent for engineering) and Pomona - potential pre-med? Harvey Mudd has some merit scholarships not based on need. Pomona’s financial aid meets 100% need with no loans (I think Mudd does too). If he is willing to look at other parts of the country there are a lot of schools where his stats would earn merit money. Have you run a FAFSA forecast to estimate your EFC?</p>