<p>I think it’s perfectly legitimate to apply ED with need for financial aid (disclaimer: I did so myself, at a different peer LAC). The key is that you AND YOUR FAMILY has to be willing to spend as much as you can afford to attend the ED college. You should be prepared to back out of the commitment only if the aid is truly inadequate. A test for inadequacy: if this was your best FA offer in the RD round, would you take it? If the aid offer were truly inadequate, you would be forced to regretfully decline it and choose to attend a state university or community college at lower cost.</p>