Need blind is generally better for lower income applicants for admissions purposes. It means the school will view the application without regard to ability to pay. What may be more critical for a lower income student is whether the school’s financial aid program is 100% need met, which means the school will cover through grants, loans, work study and other aid the difference between the full cost of the school and what they calculate your family can contribute. Here it gets more complicated because the calculations and mix of aid will vary. That is why it is important to run the net price calculator usually found on the school’s financial aid website for any school you are seriously interested in to see if it is even affordable. Further, it is important to apply and hopefully get accepted to multiple schools so that you can compare financial aid packages. There, don’t be lured by large $ scholarship/grants if the net price you have to pay, including the debt you have to take on, is in fact greater than for an alternative school whose aid may look lower but whose costs are also much lower.