If he gets into Cooper, he’d be basically only paying for housing. (Not as bad as you’d think if he finds a place to share with a bunch of people in Bklyn after his first year.)

The money saved should pay for cross-country air tickets whenever either of you needs to visit the other. It’s a very different experience from a typical American university, but it’s both prestigious and cheap.

NYC/Brooklyn also has a substantial tech and maker scene if you know where to look. And 40% foreign-born population, so it’s easy to build contacts/swap language lessons with a view of eventually working abroad.