<p>Like usafa2011dad said, need blind mostly applies to keeping admissions decisions independent of whether the family can pay or not. Think of it as a firewall between the Admissions Office and the Financial Office. </p>
<p>Where the confusion comes in is that in the past most of the schools had a limited financial aid budget for international students so they had to control how many they admitted who needed financial help. </p>
<p>Now some schools are truly need-blind because they will pay fully for an admitted international. A press release in 2008 for Dartmouth [Dartmouth</a> announces new financial aid initiative](<a href=“http://www.dartmouth.edu/~news/releases/2008/01/22.html]Dartmouth”>http://www.dartmouth.edu/~news/releases/2008/01/22.html) says:</p>
<p>"Need-blind admissions for International Students
Starting immediately with the Class of 2012, the College will extend its need-blind admissions policy to all international students. Previously the College was need-blind for students from the U.S. as well as those from Canada and Mexico and provided financial aid to other international students up to a preset budget maximum. This cap will now be lifted and Dartmouth will join a very small group of schools that have a fully need-blind admissions process for international students. "</p>
<p>We already named the “small number of schools” in a previous post.</p>
<p>Hope this helps</p>