I agree with applying to several and seeing what the offers are. 2 close family members received offers that made the most expensive school cheaper than the others, here in MI. Also make sure to take the campus tours and have him really check out the areas and the services that each school offers. Feeling comfortable at a college will really help his success. With Michigan Tech being so far up north, I really recommend taking a couple day trip up there if he hasn't been.
If he decides to attend a further away college, compare the cost of off-campus housing with that of the dorm. Some require living in the dorms the first year if not commuting, but after that first year, living off-campus could be a huge money saver. My brother's an Engineering major at U of M and will be saving over $600/ month over the cost of the dorm and meal plan by sharing an apartment off-campus with a couple other students, and that's including a $200/month food budget. Over his sophomore-senior years, that's over $14,000 savings.
Another thing to consider if money is a concern is how prevalent work study opportunities are at each school, or if there are a lot of part-time job opportunities in the area. Since he still has a year left of school, encourage him to apply for as many scholarships as he can- the college board website has literally thousands of scholarships opportunities listed, some of which require very little work.