Son's Merit Scholarship OOS chances - Class of '19 (probable NMF)

That 35 can be elusive. But he will do fine with the 34. Univ. S. Carolina will allow him to stack NMF on top of other awards. At a minimum, he would probably get In state Tuition, plus the Elite, and add on NMF. And he could qualify for Top Scholars which is even more money. Apply before 10/15. He will then get an invite to apply to the Honors College, which is due 11/15.
I will say that with those statistics, pick a few “reach” schools too. He may get some nice packages. Good luck.