Is there any resource for having a manuscript reviewed without having to pay more than 2 or 3 hundred dollars?

It depends on what type manuscript. After you've had it copyrighted, have copies made and mail it

(at bulk rate if you can) directly to the appropriate publisher(s). They employee readers. They read all submitted manuscripts. It's the "Gone With The Wind" principle. McMillan was the third. The first two publishers who turned it down are no longer in business (a legend that persist).

Sure. You could post it online on places open to public review, like fictionpress.net, or livejournal.com. You could submit it to some sort of writing/manuscript contest. If you're that desperate, email it to me and I'll review it for you. I'm an author, I read constantly, and I've edited manuscripts for other authors before.

You can get some beta readers, but you'll have to critique their work if you want them to critique yours. Otherwise, you can hire a professional editor. By professional, I mean someone with real editing experience working in publishing, and not someone who decides one day that they want to be an editor and then starts charging. The non-professionals won't help you much and can even make your work worse. Unfortunately, the professionals don't come cheap. But, realize that you get what you pay for.

Beta readers and critique groups can be helpful, but it also depends on the experience of the writers. Not everyone will be able to offer you the kind of help you need. Realize too that everyone will have a different opinion. But, they can be helpful with spotting issues that you didn't see. it's great when you can find a critique group with writers who are better than yourself or one with a published writer in it (not self-published). Anyway, enough of my babbling. You can check meetup.com to see if any critique groups are in your area. You can also find them online. Look for writers forums, too, and websites where you can post samples of your work for feedback.

Of course there is. What do you think critique sites and writing groups do?

You will be expected to contribute by reviewing other people's manuscripts.