Need-blind admission

As a result, a student's financial aid package can differ greatly between schools that claim to meet full demonstrated need.

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.

Such institutions include prestigious colleges that do not offer merit-based aid but promise to meet 100% of financial need (mostly through grants).

[72] At Wesleyan University, attempted shifts to a "need-aware" admission policy have resulted in protests by the school's student body.

[73] 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.