Until this student hears from her dad the amount that he can contribute each year, we have no idea if a “meet need” school will even work. He may have another family, or he may be trying to save for retirement. He may think that once child support is done, he’s done. He’s a prof at a state school. He may not be aware that schools that give the best aid typically use CSS Profile and will require both incomes. The student thought that only her mom’s income would be used, so obviously her dad had not educated her about that…maybe because he didn’t know that himself.
again, I strongly suggest that this student not assume anything, even if the info is coming from PhD parents. So much has changed in recent years.