Appealing for FA?

Your best hope of a positive appeal result would have occurred had this been an ED acceptance. At this point, even if a CSS school like Swat were to say you could get some aid, they have already allocated the bulk if not all of this year’s available aid. Haverford will likely say the same thing since they will likely have allocated aid based on the paperwork that applicants have submitted. Sorry you father and stepmother are so small-minded; you are better not to have them around. You are lucky to have a mom who accepts for who you are. UofC is an incredible school and would offer you a great education plus a welcoming community; Swat and Haverford likewise. Going to UofC would likely require add’l loans; could you afford that? You could also request a deferred enrollment to the next entering class at your preferred schools citing your current situation (be sure to check with each school regarding their rules for this); that might give you an opportunity to get your finances in order. You could go to Wyoming for a year and take care of basic required classes.

I know there was a recent case in New Jersey where a young women sued her parents to pay for her college bills; not sure how that went. My gut tells me that it would be difficult to compel your dad to pay even if he can claim you for tax purposes and CSS counts his $ against you as a possible family resource. You might want to pursue a deferment to preserve your acceptance to Swat while you consult a lawyer or college admissions consultant about your options on filling out your aid paperwork.