Independent schools are increasingly expected to use financial aid not only as a tool for access, but as a strategic lever to shape enrollment outcomes. Yet many institutions still allocate aid in ways that are reactive and difficult to evaluate for impact. This session introduces a structured, data-informed approach to financial aid that treats allocation as a resource optimization problem. Participants will explore how to organize financial aid decisions across multiple institutional priorities, including program strength, geographic representation, and access, while operating within fixed budget constraints. The session will demonstrate how to build a practical system, using accessible tools such as Google Sheets, to track financial aid distribution across competing priorities, incorporate internal evaluations of student impact and program demand, and begin measuring return on investment. Special attention will be given to how schools can evolve from early-stage tracking toward more intentional, strategy-driven allocation over time. Participants will leave with a clear framework for shifting from student-by-student decision making to a broader portfolio approach, allowing financial aid to more directly support institutional goals.