<p>@julesegr
What a hypothetical question!
If the FA improved, then OP has no excuse to back up at all. When a school suddenly becomes unaffordable, what else can you do?</p>
<p>Ultimately reading being the lines it’s quite clear that you not want to attend NYU. The financial aid argument as providing an “out” seems to be besides the point. Ethical issues not withstanding spending 4 years at a college that you do not want to attend is a recipe for disaster not only for you but also to the university. Why would they want to deal with the likely fallout of someone who does not want to be there?</p>
<p>In a situation such as this frankness and honesty are essential. Talk frankly with your high school counselor. There is a fine line between a “contract” and the ED agreement. Your counselor may be able to help you distinguish between the two, and he may be able to negotiate in your behalf with NYU. Perhaps you can “pay” a penalty for not following through on your commitment. You may need to discuss the situation (again openly and frankly) with NYU admissions and possibly with a lawyer.</p>
<p>This is hardly the first time a situation like has occurred. I expect that NYU may in fact have a process for dealing with it. It’s unlikely that the process “penalizes” future applicants from your high school.</p>
<p>Clearly this situation won’t get better unless OP contacts everyone involved - GC, NYU, parents, etc. and gets everyone to talk honestly about the situation. Although OP has not exactly been exactly straightforward about the situation, since it is a matter of cost AND OP apparently intends to go to a rolling admission school, there’s a good chance they’ll be let out of the ED contract. It’s not like OP got accepted ED to NYU and continued fishing for Harvard and Yale. There’s probably a happy ending here, but only if talks start immediately.</p>