Who should get to determine need if not the entity giving out the money? We’ve had families on CC who earn $250k or more per year who don’t believe they should have to pay because the cost of living in their area is high. If schools left it up to families to decide what they want to pay, how many are going to offer to pay $35k or more/year? Colleges have to determine need somehow, and using the FAFSA formula doesn’t give them enough of a picture of family finances. It seems to me that you might have assumed the college’s commitment to “meet full need” was somehow related to the FAFSA EFC. Unfortunately, that’s a common error.
Did your daughter apply to any financial safeties? If not, she may need to take a gap year so she can build a new list of schools. How much can you pay without borrowing? If you quality for full Pell that’s ~$5800. She can take the federal student loan (~$5500/year) and if she works summers she can probably earn another ~$3k. That’s ~$14k. Does your state offer grants? If so, add those to your budget. Are her stats high enough to qualify for guaranteed merit anywhere? If they are, I’d have her apply to schools that will offer her a tuition grant. If you can’t pay much/anything for college, commuting may be an option. Are there any cc’s or 4-year schools near you? I understand your disappointment, but if you can’t afford this school you need to start helping her form a new plan.