No one is bound applying ED asking for financial aid; if the aid offer is insufficient to support attendance, you tell the school thanks but no thanks and apply elsewhere. If you need aid, a school’s being need blind is not helpful unless it also meets full need; a need-aware school that meets full need is better. Most schools are need blind but don’t meet full need.
My son is a Skidmore junior. I remember agonizing that he wouldn’t get in because he needed aid, but he did get in, and he receives excellent financial aid there. We have found Skidmore to be extremely generous. And he absolutely loves his college.
Most schools are need blind is correct. Community colleges and directional state schools who don’t give much aid are need blind. I never classified these schools as need blind for our purposes, if they take almost everyone and don’t give aid, that’s not how I use need blind when discussion competitive colleges. On a Skidmore thread, I think most here are talking about similar schools, very competitive schools with early decision and financial aid implications, which include many that meet full need.
“a need-aware school that meets full need is better”. That’s why my daughter chose to apply early decision to her close second choice, which you opposed earlier in this thread.