<p>You will need to call the school’s financial aid department and ask them how they are calculating income and assets.</p>
<p>Does the school that set the family contribution at $5500 have the current info (the same W2’s you sent to the more expensive college?) It could be that you simply are borderline for Pell eligibility and the current numbers pushed your EFC up beyond the level for Pell eligibility. If your FAFSA EFC was 3900 based on estimated income but will be 5100 with actual income, then you are only looking at a $1200 difference but that is enough to eliminate Pell eligibility.</p>
<p>Seems like a no-brainer to me… you need to attend the “similar” college that wants you to pay $5500. (If it were me, as a parent, I wouldn’t even bother with the $22000/$25000 college. )</p>