<p>Please ignore my previous post; I was on the wrong page of the thread.</p>
<p>Legend,
It sounds as if you and your mother have a good relationship. I think that your mother is overwhelmed, in panic, and has absolutely no idea how much money she actually needs in order to live. The person who was taking care of everything for her is gone and she has never had to deal with any of this before. Personally I think that someone with $500K and a house is in pretty good shape. (It isn't enough money to last a person for the rest of their life, but get a job.) Saying that to your mother, however, is probably not going to get a rational sounding response. She can't deal with it yet. Talking to her about how to obtain tax breaks and how to obtain a lower EFC will just cause her to shut down in confusion and panic. I'm sure that she will adapt to the new situation with time and she will learn how to take care of herself. It sounds selfish for someone with $500K and a house who is getting social security to not help pay for your college. On the other hand, your mother is probably afraid of being kicked out of her house and ending up penniless. I would continue with going to Penn and trust that everything will work out once she learns to cope.</p>