<p>OP, you live in NY. If a family is fortunate enough to have an income that precludes TAP and PELL, but is living up to every cent made and more so does not have one red cent for college, but is not going to qualify for financial aid for the state schools, then the student’s options are the local state schools to which he can commute which can be afforded pretty much by the Stafford loans, schools that throw in enough merit to make it affordable (my son and some others got some great tuition paid grants from some local private schools making them less expensive than the CC and local public school options) or get enough aid, if that is even possible, from a private school so that it is possible to go there.</p>
<p>If your parents can pay zilch, even if Harvard and other such schools say you and your parents have to come up with say $20K a year, which is about what a sleep away SUNY would cost with no grants, then you know that those schools that give need based only are not possible for you. Not affordable. You have to go to those options that are, and that means schools where you are in the upper crust where enough merit awards are available for you to make it affordable. Fordham gives great merit money to those with the stats, for example, and for those in the NY area is a commutable choice. Columbia will meet your full need, but gives no merit money. The SUNYs have a low sticker price. So being in the NYC area gives a person a lot of choices.</p>