College officials worry that too many of their peers use merit aid to "buy" students whose test scores will burnish their institutions' rankings in "U.S. News & World Report." In fact, the debate about financial aid on today's campuses has led to the near vilification of merit aid. The lament is that money is often diverted needlessly to wealthier students and away from those who genuinely can't afford college. That ethos is certainly virtuous on its face, as surely all students who are admitted to college should get the financial assistance that they need to enroll. Further, it acknowledges the important role of higher education as a gateway to economic and social opportunity. The concept of "need," however, should encompass more than the financial need of individual students. It must also embrace the need as a nation to stimulate and reward achievement and prepare the next wave of graduates for extraordinary responsibility and contribution. Thus, the country's student-aid system should consider not only the need to support low-income students who deserve open and equal access, but also the need to apply money as an incentive to stimulate and reward academic achievers. The author contends that by aligning student lending toward student achievement, public interest, and institutional leadership, student lending can be shifted away from the lenders' welfare toward the nation's welfare.