<p>prephopeful – to me that is strange and you should revert back to the AO then if you are 35k short. Lots of people are astounded when they don’t get FA but they don’t realize that they are not qualified. If the PFS said your family could contribute 13k only then there is a real shortfall and the first step is to ask the school what they recommend to bridge that gap. They may have more info on whether or not some of the FA that gets “returned” (kids who get and don’t go) and whether you would be eligible for that. They also may have some loan programs which you may not know of or some other scholarship monies. It is definitely worth asking if you would go there but for the lack of funds.</p>