I propose we stick with the term COA for the school’s total cost of attendance and use NCOA or “net cost” for the student’s bottom line. (I think we’re all probably too cavalier with abbreviations here on CC, in general, and inadvertently confusing a lot of people.)
@yurica, you can ask Purdue for more money, but it’s as likely to happen as winning the State Lotto. If you live in Michigan, why on earth would you expect the State of Indiana (and its taxpayers) to provide you with need-based aid? With the exception of a few “Public Ivies,” it just ISN’T done.
You CANNOT afford Purdue; let it go! The question now is whether you can even afford Michigan State–something that is not clear at this point. I’d feel better about your accepting loan packages if you were majoring in something that would make it easier to get a job following graduation, like nursing or engineering.
Seriously, you must be realistic about what your options are. Were you unaware how little income your mother has when you trusted her that she could pay for college?
Please understand I don’t meant to be harsh, but you don’t seem to be comprehending what folks here are trying to explain to you. I know it’s frustrating. I was in a similar situation when I was applying to colleges back in the Stone Age, but I also was realistic enough to know that with my mom’s very limited income, aside from filling out my FAFSA forms, there was little she could do for me. It was private colleges with generous, need-based financial aid or the cheapest in-state option I could fund with federal, low-interest loans.