How will I be able to afford college?

To be a successful engineer, you don't need to go to a top tier college. In 5 years post graduation, no one cares as long as you are good.  But it might piss some people off if you advertise where you went.  Also consider that every one else was top of class in high school, so on a good day you will be average.  What differentiates people in college and after is creativity, communication skills and drive.

It sounds like you are hard worker, you will be paying for college primarily on your own, and you're wanting to go live and go to college out-of-state but have no idea how to afford it.  Also sounds like scholarships aren't likely to be your answer and the little savings you do have simply isn't enough. Why you've chosen one of the most expensive colleges in the country (Berkeley), I'm not quite sure...  Great school, sure; cool location, yes.  Unlikely to be affordable...almost certainly.  I chose a mountain of debt for my favorite school too.  I was blind to the cost because it seemed like Monopoly money.  Trust me, if you're paying for college for yourself, IT'S REAL MONEY! Good news is that you sound like you're a terrific candidate to earn in-state resident tuition in other states.  If you were open to taking a gap year involving moving and working and supporting yourself prior to enrolling in classes...then you could likely get in-state tuition in virtually any state school (with some big exceptions like California, Arizona, Vermont). If you're willing to go to school part-time your first year while establishing residency, then I'd encourage you to check out colleges in Washington, Oregon, Montana, Texas (if you want warmth), Nevada, Idaho. Check out this map of in-state difficulty and explore some of your out-of-state options here: https://www.instateangels.com/state-tuition-rules-search/.  To learn about the basics of qualifying for in-state, check out https://www.instateangels.com/how-to-get-in-state-tuition/.  Alternatively, also feel free to do whatever independent research online that you'd like.  Either way, there's a lot to be gained by looking into this route more. Note: there are also several states (not a ton) where you'd be able to be a full-time student while working very little and still be on track for in-state status after a year.