@averagejoe10 Yes you are right on NMSF / NMF - I was temporarily confusing Commended (which doesn’t = $$$) and Semi-Finalist. From your PSAT score it sounds like you should be fine. Do keep us posted as you wend your way through the labyrinth this year!
semi-tryhard white guy applying to some very good schools, some decent ones (admission/aid chances?)
So your budget is c~$30K/year for tuition, room and board: $25 from your parents & $5-7 that you can borrow. You can probably earn another $3-5K over the summer after senior year to cover first year spending money, but be aware that If you are going a polisci direction you will want to get summer internships, and they are typically badly paid or stipended.
So, CC: where should a go-getter, highflier student with a 4.0UW / 34 ACT / 1520 SAT / likely NMF look for a non-southern, preferably urban college that will come in under $35K/year?!
@collegemom3717 looks like we’ve got the golden question!! (lol) sometimes they don’t seem so golden do they
Thanks for all of your diligent help though 
University of New Mexico offers a complete free ride to NMFs. Scholarship covers 100% of tuition, fees and housing.
Scholarship requires recipient to maintain a 3.3 GPA and take 15 credit hours/semester.
UNM is an urban college, located in the middle of a city of ~700,000 residents.
https://scholarship.unm.edu/scholarships/
There are ample opportunities to undergrads to intern in state level and federal offices.
(Hubert H. Humphrey once said of NM politics: You work. in the New York legislature to get your bachelor’s in politics. You go to the Illinois legislative to get your masters. For your doctorate, you go to New Mexico.)
And is better than your in-state options (South Carolina)?
NMF is the wildcard. That could open doors. I’m not sure which schools offer significant merit to winners any more. USC (Cali) and Fordham used to but not sure any more. I’m sure Google would work.
Maybe Arizona or Alabama schools? Kentucky? Temple. You might qualify for in-state tuition at Florida State.
Loyola of Chicago? Made my son’s short list. Nice campus plus Chicago. The Jesuits are the liberal Catholics.
Roberts Wesleyan in Rochester, NY, maybe? Probably not better than your instate options.
Forgot about Ohio State. Kids at our HS were going there OOS because it was cheaper than in-state (Penn State). I think you would qualify for the Buckeye and Maximus. You would also have a chance at the Morrill scholarships.
http://undergrad.osu.edu/cost-and-aid/merit-based-scholarships
Both University of Idaho and University of Maine offer large awards for NMF.