Need-blind admission in the United States refers to a college admission policy that does not take into account an applicant's financial status when deciding whether to accept them. This approach typically results in a higher percentage of accepted students who require financial assistance and requires the institution to have a substantial endowment or other funding sources to support the policy. Institutions that participated in an antitrust exemption granted by Congress were required by law to be need-blind until September 30, 2022.[1]
Many colleges and universities cannot provide enough financial aid to cover all admitted students. Some institutions are not need-blind, while others may practice need-blind admissions, but cannot provide sufficient aid. Additionally, some schools that use need-blind admissions for domestic first-year students may not extend that policy to international or transfer students. Need-blind schools tend to be selective, due to the large number of applications they receive.
Each institution has its own definition of meeting the full demonstrated need. Some schools meet this need through grants and/or merit or talent scholarships alone, while others may include loans and work-study programs. As a result, a student's financial aid package can differ greatly between schools that claim to meet full demonstrated need.[citation needed]
Need-blind for both U.S. and international studentsedit
Eight U.S. higher education institutions are need-blind towards all applicants. These institutions meet full demonstrated need for all applicants, including international students.[2] These are:
A number of U.S. institutions of higher learning both offer need-blind admissions, and meet the full demonstrated need for all students, but are need-aware when it comes to international student admissions. However, all admitted students will have their demonstrated need met, although in some colleges, primarily public colleges, such aid may only be offered for students who either require financial aid or are under specific geographical demographics. For instance, College of William & Mary and University of Michigan are public research universities that meet the full need of qualifying in-state students (residents of Virginia and Michigan, respectively) but don't meet the full need of out-of-state or international students. The following schools fall into this category:
Antioch College (only students who qualify for the Pell Grant have the full need met)[12]
Georgetown University (need-blind for all students but doesn't guarantee meeting full need for international students)[30]
Georgia Institute of Technology (typically, only low-income in-state students have the full need met; entering freshmen from specific counties of South Carolina, Florida, North Carolina, or Tennessee who demonstrate financial need and are therefore qualified and selected for the Godbold Family Foundation Scholarship will also have 100% of their financial need covered)[31][32]
Need-aware schools that meet needs of admitted studentsedit
Many reputable institutions that once championed need-blind policies have modified their policies due to rising costs as well as subpar endowment returns. Such institutions include prestigious colleges that do not offer merit-based aid but promise to meet 100% of financial need (mostly through grants). These stated institutions refer to themselves as "need-aware" or "need-sensitive," with policies that detract from their ability to admit and educate all qualified candidates but allow them to meet the full need of all admitted students who qualify for financial aid (many institutions extend this policy to all students).[70]
For instance, at Macalester College, Mount Holyoke College and Smith College, at least 95% of students are admitted without financial need being a factor, but a slim percentage, generally students who are waitlisted or who have borderline qualifications, are reviewed in consideration of the college's projected financial resources. All three colleges grant all admitted students financial aid packages meeting 100% of need.[71] At Wesleyan University, attempted shifts to a "need-aware" admission policy have resulted in protests by the school's student body.[72]
Some institutions only meet the full need for students who are domestic US residents and/or are eligible for US federal financial aid, as proven by the applicant's FAFSA and CSS profile. A few only meet the full need of students under specific demographics who are considered "economically disadvantaged" and may not be guaranteed to meet the full need of other students. Do note that some colleges don't state their financial aid admissions policy, so they're sorted into the need-aware category. The following schools fall into this category:
George Washington University (lower-income first-year students of the District of Columbia who qualify for the D.C. Tuition Assistance Grant only)[84]
Gettysburg College (select academically excelling, underrepresented minority, first-generation, first-year students only as part of the Gettysburg College STEM Scholars program)[85]
Lawrence University (Currently meets demonstrated need for students of Wisconsin and Illinois for Fall 2023 onward; possibly aims to soon extend a full need policy to all students)[90][91]
Washington & Jefferson College (only in-state students who are eligible for the Pennsylvania State Grant, and have a 3.7+ GPA plus an SAT score of 1200 or an ACT score of 27)[107]
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Worcester public high school students eligible for the Pell Grant as part of the Great Minds/Compass Scholars Program only)[108]
Need-blind for residents, but do not guarantee to meet needs of admitted studentsedit
Some schools have a need-blind admissions policy but do not guarantee to meet the full demonstrated financial need of the students they admit. The following schools fall under this category:
In the United States, schools with large financial aid budgets—typically private, college-preparatory boarding schools—tend to offer either need-blind admission or a commitment to meet the full demonstrated need of the U.S. citizen students that they admit (as determined by the schools' respective financial aid departments).
^"Summary of S. 1482: Need-Based Educational Aid Act of 2015 - GovTrack.us". Archived from the original on 2017-08-08. Retrieved 2015-08-16.
^"Schools Awarding International Financial Aid". Archived from the original on 2008-04-13. Retrieved 2008-04-07.
^"International Applicants - Amherst College". Amherst College. Archived from the original on 2012-03-10. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
^"Bowdoin College Expands Need-Blind Admissions Policy to Include International Students". News. Archived from the original on 2022-07-08. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
^"Dartmouth Adopts Need-Blind International Admissions - Dartmouth College". Dartmouth College. 12 January 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-01-12. Retrieved 2022-06-04.
^Munai, Inno. "Applying for Financial Aid as an International Student". Student Voices. Harvard College. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
^"What is need-blind admissions?". MIT Admissions. Archived from the original on 2019-11-21. Retrieved 2019-11-25.
^"Financial Aid". www.minerva.edu (in eg). Retrieved 2024-04-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
^"Financial Aid FAQ - Undergraduate Admission". Princeton University. Archived from the original on 2015-03-06.
^"Are international students eligible for financial aid? If so, how do I apply?". Yale University. 2010-08-10. Archived from the original on December 23, 2010.
^"All students eligible for the Pell grant will receive full-tuition scholarships to Antioch College". Antioch College. 6 December 2019. Archived from the original on 2021-01-17. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
^"information for Counselors". Babson College. Archived from the original on 2021-01-17. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
^"Barnard Fin Aid". Barnard College. Archived from the original on 2011-10-04. Retrieved 2012-04-22.
^"Costs and Financial Aid for International Students". Berea College. Archived from the original on 2020-11-26. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
^"Undergraduate Financial Aid: Frequently Asked Questions". Office of Student Services. Boston College. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
^"Bowdoin Financial Aid". Archived from the original on 2012-04-16. Retrieved 2012-04-22.
^"First-Generation Applicants". Undergraduate Admissions. Caltech. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
^"Financial Aid & Affordability". Carnegie Mellon University. Archived from the original on 2021-01-18. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
^"Prospective and New Students". Claremont McKenna College. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
^"Financial Aid". College of William and Mary. Archived from the original on 2020-12-22. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
^"How Aid Works - Columbia Financial Aid and Educational Financing". Archived from the original on 2015-11-18. Retrieved 2015-11-18.
^JON VICTOR (February 24, 2016). "Cornell changes to need-aware policy". Yale Daily News. Archived from the original on February 25, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
^"Applying for Financial Aid". Denison University. Archived from the original on 2019-05-04. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
^"$300-million Financial Aid Initiative Launched". Duke Magazine. Archived from the original on April 17, 2006.
^"Odyssey Program". Elon University. Archived from the original on 2020-12-02. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
^"Financial Aid". Emory University. Archived from the original on 2020-12-04. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
^"Commitment to excellence guides financial aid". Emory University. January 13, 2013. Archived from the original on December 27, 2021. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
^"Financial Aid - Georgetown University". Georgetown University. Archived from the original on 2021-04-20. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
^"The G. Wayne Clough Georgia Tech Promise Program". Georgia Tech. Archived from the original on 2021-01-07. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
^"Godbold Family Foundation Scholarship". Georgia Tech. Archived from the original on 2021-01-07. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
^"Tuition & Financial Aid". Grinnell College. Archived from the original on 2017-11-22. Retrieved 2017-11-15.
^"Need Blind - Home - Hamilton College". Hamilton College. Archived from the original on 2010-03-15. Retrieved 2010-03-08.
^"Counselor Page". Harvey Mudd College. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
^News-Letter, The (30 March 2013). "Class of 2017 admission hits new University record". Archived from the original on 11 March 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
^"Financial Aid Home". Lehigh University. Archived from the original on 2017-07-25. Retrieved 2018-07-19.
^"Financial Aid Glossary of Terms". Lehigh University. Archived from the original on 2017-03-30. Retrieved 2018-08-08.
^"List College Financial Aid". List College. 10 November 2015. Archived from the original on 2021-10-24. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
^"Affording Middlebury". Middlebury College. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
^"Bucky's Tuition Promise Plus". University of Wisconsin–Madison. Archived from the original on 2021-01-27. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
^"Frequently Asked Questions". Vanderbilt University. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
^"Vassar College returns to "need blind" admissions policy - Communications - Vassar College". Archived from the original on 2007-06-15.
^"FAQs - Admissions - Vassar College". Vassar College. Archived from the original on 2014-01-05. Retrieved 2013-12-05.
^"Common Questions". Financial Aid. Washington University in St. Louis. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
^"Cost & Financial Aid". Wellesley College. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
^Marx, Ella (November 9, 2022). "ISA advocates for need-blind admission policy for international applicants". The Williams Record. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
^Seline, Anita M. (1996). "The shift away from need-blind: colleges have started their version of "wallet biopsies." - higher education institutions admit students on economic status criteria". Black Issues in Higher Education. Archived from the original on 2007-12-16. Retrieved 2007-05-17.
^The Miscellany News | Since 1866: Financial Aid at Vassar | Crunching the numbers Archived 2007-06-15 at the Wayback Machine
^"The 1992 Need-Blind Occupation: A Look Back with Ben Foss '95". Wesleying. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
^"Alma College Expands Detroit Future Program". Alma College. February 3, 2020. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
^"AU is committed to mitigating costs to the greatest possible extent". Archived from the original on 2021-03-05. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
^"Aquinas College to meet full demonstrated financial need for qualified students". Aquinas College. Archived from the original on 2020-01-29. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
^"Augustana Possible". Augustana College. Archived from the original on 2023-03-07. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
^"Types Of Aid". Bard College. Archived from the original on 2021-01-08. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
^"AffordableBU". Boston University. Archived from the original on 2023-02-05. Retrieved 2019-08-23.
^"Financial Aid". California State University Long Beach. 26 October 2016. Archived from the original on 2021-01-16. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
^"Holy Cross Financial Aid". College of the Holy Cross. Archived from the original on 2020-04-08. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
^"Cost & Financial Aid". Connecticut College. Archived from the original on 2021-01-01. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
^"Rolla M. Malpas Trust Award". Depauw University. Archived from the original on 2021-04-17. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
^"Financial Aid". Dickinson College. Archived from the original on 2021-01-27. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
^"GW District Scholars Award". George Washington University. Archived from the original on 2021-01-08. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
^"STEM Scholars Program". Gettysburg College. Archived from the original on 2021-01-09. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
^Jaschik, Scott (June 27, 2016). "Haverford College shifts from need-blind to need-aware admissions". Inside Higher Ed. Archived from the original on May 14, 2018. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
^"Hendrix College Expands Popular "Advantage" Program". Hendrix College. September 24, 2018. Archived from the original on April 5, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
^"Admissions: Early Decision". Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Archived from the original on 2021-01-21. Retrieved 2021-01-22.
^"Lafayette College _ Lafayette College - Profile, Rankings and Data _ Lafayette College _ US News Best Colleges". U.S. News & World Report.
^"Lawrence University announces full-tuition financial aid program". Madison365. September 27, 2022. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
^"The Rising Costs of Meeting Full Need". Inside Higher Ed. March 1, 2021. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
^"Financial Aid FAQ". National University of Natural Medicine. Archived from the original on 2021-01-22. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
^"The Northeastern Promise". Northeastern University. Archived from the original on 2020-12-27. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
^"Making college more affordable". The Ohio State University. Archived from the original on 2020-08-15. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
^"The Charles Thomas Scholarship". Ohio Wesleyan University. Archived from the original on 2020-12-02. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
^"STEM2 Scholarship Program". Saint Joseph's University. Archived from the original on 2021-01-16. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
^"Sewanee expands financial aid to meet full need for new students in 2020". Sewanee: The University of the South. Archived from the original on 2021-04-13. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
^"Financial Aid Office: Prospective First-Year FAQ". Skidmore College. Archived from the original on 2020-12-30. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
^"Affording a St. Olaf Education". St. Olaf College. Archived from the original on 2021-01-05. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
^"The John E. Drew Stonehill College Commitment". Stonehill College. Archived from the original on 2022-04-05. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
^"Trinity University Agrees To Meet Full Financial Need Of San Antonio ISD Students Who Are Admitted". Trinity University. 24 September 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-12-04. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
^Javetski, Gillian (2009-04-02). "Tufts accepts 26 percent of pool, suspends need-blind admissions". The Tufts Daily. Archived from the original on 2009-04-05. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
^"Miami Within Reach". University of Miami. Archived from the original on 2020-12-20. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
^"Pittsburgh Public Scholars". University of Pittsburgh. Archived from the original on 2021-01-28. Retrieved 2021-01-22.
^"Tacoma Public Schools Commitment". University of Puget Sound. Archived from the original on 2021-03-03. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
^"Admissions & Financial Aid Information for Undocumented Students". University of Rochester. Archived from the original on 2020-10-30. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
^"W&J Good Neighbor Program". Washington & Jefferson College. Archived from the original on 2021-01-17. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
^"Great Minds/Compass Scholars Program". Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Archived from the original on 2021-01-09. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
^"Admission Procedures, Application Dates, Deposits, Other Application Information, Early Decision and Acceptance Programs". Apply4Admissions.com. Archived from the original on 2014-01-16. Retrieved 2014-01-15.
^"Bucknell University Tuition, Costs and Financial Aid - CollegeData College Profile". Bucknell University. Archived from the original on 2013-06-23. Retrieved 2014-02-16.
^"Financial Aid". Cooper Union. Archived from the original on 2018-01-07. Retrieved 2018-01-06.
^"SJC Fin Aid". St. John's College (Annapolis/Santa Fe). Archived from the original on 2015-11-25. Retrieved 2015-11-24.
^"The Upsides of the University's Tuition Increase". The Villanovan. March 24, 2022. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
^"Admissions". Georgetown University in Qatar. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
^"FINANCIAL MATTERS". Yale-NUS College. Archived from the original on 17 May 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
^"Yale-NUS becomes need-aware for international students for next admission cycle". The Octant. 13 September 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-01-16. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
^"Is NYUAD Still Need Blind?". www.thegazelle.org. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
^"Tuition and Financial Aid". Phillips Academy. Retrieved 2024-02-26.