<p>Need-blind schools have been known to award different amounts to students based on exactly the same financial information. For one student, the difference came to $28k over one year. In other cases, students have received more aid from a need-blind school after faxing copies of competing offers. I suspect that the additional aid came from the pot reserved for merit aid. In other words, students who do not show need will not get aid; but should they show need and be highly desirable, the college may top up the need-based aid with some extra funds to attract them.
That’s the best way I can interpret the information I have come across.</p>