Your situation is similar to what my son’s was when he was applying a couple years ago. His GPA was higher but the test scores and income were very close (our gross was just under $60k). He got grants at most of the colleges that accepted him, but even at private universities the grants were only enough to bring the net cost down to the COA of our state colleges (~$20k/year). That didn’t include travel or personal expenses. OOS options were limited and really not affordable on a ~$60k/year income. He chose to commute to a local state school. Students who attend our local state university can cross register at two very good private colleges so that’s what he’s doing. We offered to let him live on campus for a year, but after spending a few days in a dorm on accepted students’ weekend he decided against that.
How much can your parents pay per year without borrowing? You can only borrow ~$5500/year, and if you work summers you can probably earn ~$3k. Add that to what your parents can pay and that’s your budget. Finding affordable OOS colleges might be a challenge, so make sure you have financial safeties on your list. Check your local state colleges for affordable options and look into the study on the mainland program. That’s a great option if you qualify.