Please contact the Cornell financial aid office indicating both parents lost their jobs in 2017 and at the moment only your mom has found one. Photocopy proof (end of contract/any documents from former employer) as well as new contract by new employer.
Ask for a review based on this very important information. Do not include all the 401 stuff, which is irrelevant.
Cornell WILL work with students when such situations occur and thus when the 2016 situation doesn’t reflect 2017.
Wait – you haven’t told Cornell about your parents loss of income yet?
Please work with financial aid. Tell them why your parents aren’t giving you money and how you would have to pay this 100% on your own.
They are a meet full need school and you have a genuine basis for a financial aid appeal here.
Lost jobs? Oh, wow. Start reading here, then get in touch with the financial aid office: http://finaid.cornell.edu/special-circumstances
Contact Cornell financial aid TOMORROW morning.
Be sure that you schedule a LONG conversation with someone in Cornell’s financial aid office. Don’t just call and talk with whatever random person answers the phone. Be sure the conversation is with a financial aid counselor.
YES they will probably adjust the aid package in light of the updated income/employment information. You just need documentation and need to handle this quickly, probably. My family got an ED aid package adjusted because the original aid offer was based on a specific year in which family income was “artificially high” based on a change in how the salary was paid (with no actual change in annual salary). The college was very nice about it.
Good luck! Just be sure to pay attention to other deadlines, on the chance that this does not work out.