What should I do?

<p>I have long regarded my FAFSA EPC (expected parental contribution) to be complete and utter bullsh…it.
My EPC was ~37,000. My mother (single) makes around 100,000 and we live in the most expensive area in the country (NYC/LI, NY).
There is not way in holy he…ll my mother could pay that, let alone half.</p>

<p>I recieved ~19,000 in Merit Award for National Hispanic Scholars and ~5,000 in financial aid. I would still have ~20,000 left over.
I was also invited to the Honors Program. </p>

<p>Can I use the Honors Program invite to leverage with the school to get more money?
I plan on calling tomorrow telling them that I am redoing my FAFSA and that I really love the school, just I cant afford it. I would be completely sincere…I truly love BU…I just realllllllllly cant afford 20,000 a year AND 5,000 in fin aid. </p>

<p>Should I call?
What should I say?
Stick with my plan?</p>

<p>Call and ask if you can appeal. A few colleges will do that (Carnegie Mellon, for example). Sometimes you have to show them a similar, private college or university that offered you more, and send documentation of it, such as a copy of the financial aid letter from the other school. It never hurts to request a 2nd look and if you have information that will change your EFC then by all means, update it. I understand completely. Our EFC is about identical to yours and while an 18,000 scholarship is certainly very nice and a lot of cash, the $32,000 left over is too much to justify. Good luck!!!</p>

<p>“Call and ask if you can appeal.”
That’s what im gonna do :)</p>

<p>"A few colleges will do that (Carnegie Mellon, for example). "
im also appealing NEU, they gave me less than BU and GWU.</p>

<p>“Sometimes you have to show them a similar, private college or university that offered you more, and send documentation of it, such as a copy of the financial aid letter from the other school.”
I got 2 thousand more at GWU. But it all makes no sense to me. My friend’s EPC (she is in very similar circumstances to I) was 14,000. I also got a complete (tuition and room and board) at SUNY binghamton. </p>

<p>“It never hurts to request a 2nd look and if you have information that will change your EFC then by all means, update it.”
Should I add that my mother is retirement age? </p>

<p>“Our EFC is about identical to yours and while an 18,000 scholarship is certainly very nice and a lot of cash, the $32,000 left over is too much to justify.”
Thanks for the help.</p>