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Need-Blind vs Need-Aware

What does being need based mean?​

Any university that offers "need based" aid will fall into one of two categories

  • Need Blind
  • Need Aware

So what does that mean for me?​

Need blind universities will not admit you based on your financial profile (aka they don't take into account how much you can pay per year when they are judging your profile). Need aware universities on the other hand though, will take into account how much money you can provide per year for your education at their institution.

This means that it is very difficult to get into universities that are need blind for international students (because your profile needs to be one of the best for them to invest $60k-$90k per year behind you). On the other hand, getting into need aware universities is simply a matter of money. An average profile that can pay $60k per year is highly favored instead of a great profile that can pay $6k per year (obviously not true for 100% of cases, but still not negligible).

For need aware universities, the higher you're willing to pay, the higher your admission rates get.