What does it mean for a school to be “need-blind” or “need-aware”?
Need-blind means the institution does not look at a family’s financial situation or ability to pay when deciding if the student will be admitted. Once a student is accepted, the school will create a financial aid package. When a school says it’s need-blind and meets 100% of demonstrated need, that means the institution not only ignores a family’s ability to pay, but if the student is accepted, the university will provide a financial aid package that equals the dollar amount of the student’s demonstrated need. But the family is still responsible for paying their EFC. Need-aware is when a school considers a family’s ability to pay when determining if a student will be accepted or not. 6. My family is doing pretty well financially. Is it worth applying for financial aid? The biggest mistake students make is self-selecting out of applying for need-based financial aid because they don’t think they’ll qualify. Remember, many schools are not just looking at income. They’re also looking at oth
