We have been asked this question many times and wanted to put together a list of colleges that meet full financial need of students on RoundPier.
But first of all, what is financial need? Colleges have their own way to estimate your family’s ability to pay for your education and call that expected family contribution (EFC). While there is a federal formula for EFC based on your FAFSA many schools ask you to complete CSS profile to determine the actual need based on their own formula. EFC, while expected to stay the same across colleges, may actually differ and hence your financial aid may vary from school to school.
Now, colleges that claim to meet full financial need will typically guarantee that they will cover the difference between your EFC and total cost of attendance. Here is the list of universities that report meeting close to 100% of student need through financial aid packages which may include federal grants and loans, scholarships and work study. It is important to remember that you can always take out private and parent loans to cover the cost if a particular university does not meet 100% of your need.
