Does appealing for a better package work?

<p>So, I was accepted ED 2 to Tufts and received my financial aid package today. While Tufts did meet my full need, I was really surprised to see that they estimated my need to be much lower than it actually is. According to the Tufts Net Price Calculator, my estimated EFC was shown as 3895 USD, while the collegeboard EFC calculator estimated it to be around 6500 USD. Surprisingly, my financial aid package shows my EFC as 11700 USD, which is significantly higher than what the net price calculator suggested. My parents' annual income is less than 20k, and although they do have quite a large sum of money stacked up in their home equity, providing more than 11k for my college expenses is going to be incredibly difficult for them, especially without any loans( yes, I wasn't offered any loans either). My parents feel that if I had received a further 4k or 5k in financial aid, it would have been ideal for them. </p>

<p>I am really desperate to go to Tufts, and I do not in any way want to break my ED contract with them. Do you guys think I should explain my situation and appeal to them for a better financial aid package? Has it really worked for anyone in the past? Any insights will be greatly appreciated. </p>

<p>I would make a call to the financial aid office. Very approachable. Modified our package based on more detailed info than was on CSS/ FAFSA.</p>