Glossary · Financial Aid
Need-Blind Admissions
An admissions policy where the school does not consider a student’s financial situation or ability to pay when making admissions decisions. The admissions committee reviews the application without knowing whether the student filed for financial aid.
What it means
Need-blind means the admissions office and the financial aid office operate independently. The committee that decides whether to admit you does not know whether you can pay. Only after admission does the aid office build your package.
Approximately 100 U.S. colleges claim need-blind admissions for domestic students. The most notable: all Ivy League schools, MIT, Stanford, Amherst, Bowdoin, Pomona, and a handful of others. Some schools are need-blind only for U.S. citizens and permanent residents but need-aware for international applicants.
Being need-blind does not mean the school meets full need. A school can be need-blind (does not consider finances in admissions) and still leave gaps in the financial aid package after admission. The two policies are separate. The ideal combination for a low-income family is need-blind plus meets-full-need, which ensures both that finances do not affect admission and that the school covers the full cost gap after admission.
Worked example
MIT is both need-blind and meets full need without loans. A student from a family earning $30,000/year applies alongside a student from a family earning $300,000/year. MIT’s admissions committee reviews both applications without knowing the financial details. If both are admitted, the first student receives a package covering nearly the full $82,000 COA in grants. The second student receives no need-based aid. The admissions decision was identical. Only the packaging differed.
Related terms
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