<p>If they won’t budge but not able to afford full-pay, if you get nothing from the school as a result, an option would be to defer for a year, work, and ask them not to claim you on their 2014 taxes. You could reapply for financial aid as an independent and give them all the materials they need. That, or go to a school with merit for 2 years and transfer… again, as an independent student.</p>
<p>Not ideal I know… just an option.</p>