<p>My high-need son applied ED to his college. My definition of “can’t afford” was if, after paying the bills, I didn’t have enough to pay the tuition bill, then we couldn’t afford it. Parent loans or home equity loans were not an option for us because we didn’t have enough income to make the payments on them.</p>
<p>I know our situation is very simple, but in general I think most people, if they’re honest, can tell the difference between “I don’t want to pay that much” and “I can’t afford it.” Since your parents are not enthusiastic about this, though, and you are talking about NYU (known for poor FA), I wouldn’t apply ED.</p>
<p>I know that’s disappointing, but it’s what I would advise my own kid in the same situation. And I am not one (obviously) who thinks it’s never a good idea to apply ED if you need FA, but I do think the cases where it makes sense are fairly limited.</p>