<p>Keep in mind that for “full need” schools, “need” is what the school determines, not what the family thinks it needs, and is based on consideration of factors beyond what is included in the FAFSA EFC. </p>
<p>While it it useful to have a list such as the one above, it is also potentially misleading to individuals who don’t understand the financial aid process. </p>
<p>It is often possible for students with strong stats to get better need-based aid at colleges that do not guarantee to meet full need, because those schools have more flexibility in their financial aid budgets and may offer preferential packaging geared toward their strongest applicants.</p>