@BelknapPoint So this scholarship which makes zero mention of financial aid would to you be FA?
https://www.mass.edu/osfa/programs/adams.asp
As I mentioned previously, if you are going based on the report from the college which includes scholarships that have no FA basis but are listed as such that is your business and certainly understandable.
As a high income family, we would not be expected nor provide any financial info to win the scholarship above should our kids pursue it. So would you say that someone who is a billionaire( we are not) and get the above is receiving financial aid? Lol.
And, you might/might not know this, but many very high income families fill out a FAFSA because they want their kids to be eligible for awards which are not based on family income but other factors. Many schools require this to be in the pool of candidates. Again many of these folks are full pay minus the scholarship, if any.
Call it what you will. I’m calling it merit.