<p>“If I’m not mistaken Alabama is full ride to NMFs…”</p>
<p>I have it on excellent authority that this is the case! 
(Thank you, @mom2collegekids.)</p>
<p>I have an off-topic question related to this: Everyone’s always talking about how important it is to find a college peer group at your level so you can have stimulating intellectual conversations and blahblahblah … hence the push for high-scoring kids to apply to the Ivies. But, if a college essentially <i>buys</i> NMFs and houses them in special honors dorms, etc., then isn’t the result the same? Won’t the smart kids be clustered together, so they can have stimulating intellectual conversations till their eyes bubble? If that’s the case, then, why not just go to a place where you’re guaranteed a full ride <i>and</i> guaranteed plenty of exposure to other NMFs?</p>