I’ve been in a similar situation, and ultimately for me, I had to look at it from a financial perspective. I do think that you should prioritize your financial future. I transferred to a university that was in the same state as my initial university, and sometimes it got really difficult for me financially, even though it cost only $2-4k more to attend.
When you transfer, there is the reality that you won’t get the aid schools use to attract freshmen. Does a guaranteed $5000 do much to offset the other costs of Ann Arbor? I’m not saying that you shouldn’t consider transferring, but you should go into it cautiously. When I wanted to transfer, I knew that money would be the determining factor. Don’t get so hung up on another school that you willingly go into exorbitant amounts of debt over it.
Also, keep in mind that many times transfers have a tough time assimilating into their new schools. Is it the worst thing in the world? No. Do most of them recover from it and find their people? I’d like to think so. Still, transferring isn’t a “fix-it-all” solution. I think many transfers inevitably think about, as your mom stated, how they would be better off at their previous institutions, even if for a fleeting moment. You want to be sure that when and if that moment comes for you, you don’t break down under the weight of enormous financial strain.