<p>My EFC was a bit over 8600: 1 parent home with custodial parent making less than 50k/year at around 49.900 though so I'm not sure how much that matters. My non-custodial parent is disabled and i currently receive social security benefit checks monthly due to his inability to work.</p>
<p>My only financial aid offer was for a $3500 subsidized Stafford loan. I'm fortunate that my school of choice was in-state, and the cost of attendance is only a little over 15k, but that is a huge chunk of $$ for my family(mother).</p>
<p>What kind of appeal process is there(if any), and what, if anything, can I do? Am I more or less screwed?</p>
<p>You may need to go elsewhere such as starting at a community college that you can commute to. Public universities typically have very little money for financial aid, and I don't know of any that guarantee meeting 100% of students' financial need. Often all they can offer is small loans even if students have high need.</p>
<p>I understand that they can't give everyone everything they want, but i got 0%. This is a large state university with 34000 students, so not some tiny public school in podunk. The damn football stadium seats 38k but they can't give me a dime for financial aid?</p>
<p>I'm not a FA expert but I would guess that the social security checks you are receiving are considered income and the school expects you to spend that money, particularly since it is coming from a non custodial parent.</p>
<p>From the things I am reading--private schools usually have better FA packages. The cost to go there may be much higher, but the endowments that these institutions have are much bigger than a state school. Bigger costs, but bigger financial aid granted, which in some cases makes the private university cheaper than the state school. Did you look into that scenario at all?</p>
<p>In my case, four private schools offered me very generous FA packages. But the one large public school, which I had been accepted into their honors program, offered very little and most of that in loans.</p>
<p>State schools are already giving tremendous financial aid to in-state students. Compare their tuition to any private school. That said, would they give you work-study? That can give you $2 grand or more. Or many school cafetarias will hire students without work study. Earn as much as you can over the summer (or start working weekends now if you are able). Take more than the $3500 in loans if needed. Many students need to take more than the Stafford amount. But be careful of terms and don't take too much. Can your mom afford the EFC, or part of it?</p>