If he gets to National Merit Semifinalist, he is likely to be a Finalist, and that opens up some great options.
The actual National Merit scholarships are small, but quite a few schools offer large automatic scholarships to lure NMFs to attend.
I hope the OP is reading the National Merit threads. There is much excitement about pending legislation in Florida that would be HUGE for out-of-state NMFs. Even if that doesn’t pass, University of Central Florida is really rolling out the welcome mat for NMFs. Full ride plus, honors college, etc.