@CateCAParent , I think that a school that offers a range of FA packages will end up with a more diverse (in terms of SES) student body. This has gotten a lot of attention in college admissions and is the genesis of a number of programs that guarantee that middle class families won’t pay more than x.
The goal is to avoid having 2 campus populations, “rich” kids who can afford to be FP and “poor” kids who need a full ride.
Overall, my understanding is that colleges have been more successful with this, in part because middle class families tend to have decent high school options AND are trying to keep some dry powder for college.
I think most BS would be thrilled to get great middle class applicants who need FA but who can also contribute to tuition.