Colleges used to admit students depending on their merits. Institutions considered grades, scores, GPAs, and extracurricular activities.
Today, some institutions admit based on whether a student can pay the tuition fee or not. Institutions that accept students not based on merit but their financial status, that is, the ability to pay the tuition fee, are known as need-blind schools.
In this article, I will help you answer several questions about need-blind schools and give you a complete list of such institutions.
3 Need-Blind Financial Aid Policies
- Total Need, No Loans Schools
This policy offers learners financial aid through donations and scholarships, not nationwide loans. It only warrants cover to a learner's "demonstrated financial need," which pertains to the difference between what your family can afford and your tuition.
- Total Need with Loans Schools
These colleges ensure they cover 100% of a student's demonstrated economic need through monetary assistance such as scholarships and loans alongside grants.
- No Guaranteed Financial Aid Schools
These schools use need-blind policies for admissions but offer no guarantee for financial aid.
It leaves a big gap for learners to fill.
What Should You Look for in a Need-Blind College?
- Ensure the school is your best fit.
- Assess the organization's financial need calculator.
- The potential Aid Package shouldn't be a limiting factor.
What You Need to Know About Financial Aid When Applying to College
Students applying to need-blind schools still need to fill out their FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Colleges will use this data to compute a person’s EFC (expected family contribution). EFCs rest on the order of aspects, such as family size, revenue, investments, privileges, and whether or not there are other family members in school.
List of Need-Blind Schools
The following institutes have a need-blind program when assessing applicants. Note that some schools on this list do not address 100% of students’ demonstrated necessities and have a no-loan policy.
- Adrian College
- Amherst College
- Babson College
- Barnard College
- Baylor University
- Biola University
- Boston College
- Boston University
- Bowdoin College
- Brandeis University
- Brown University
- Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
- California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Chapman University
- Claremont McKenna College
- Columbia University
- Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
- Cornell College
- Cornell University
- Dartmouth College
- Davidson College
- Denison University
- DePaul University
- Duke University
- Elon University
- Emory University
- Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU)
- Florida State University
- Fordham University
- Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering
- Georgetown University
- Grinnell College
- Hamilton College
- Harvard University
- Harvey Mudd College
- Haverford College
- Hiram College
- Jewish Theological Seminary
- Johns Hopkins University
- Julliard, Kenyon College
- Lawrence University
- Lehigh University
- Lewis & Clark College
- Marist College
- Marlboro College
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- Middlebury College
- New York University (NYU)
- North Carolina State University (NCSU)
- North Central College
The Bottom line
If you consider going to a need-blind school for whatever reasons, you must choose wisely. Take time and choose a school from the list given. Evaluate carefully the policy of the school you choose. Most importantly, ensure it is your best fit to enhance your academic success.