<p>In the case of NYU, a school which does not meet need and is known to give aid only to top students, you can not afford it unless your parents are willing to pay the full cost less any Pell or state grants (these go to low income) and your loans and work study. </p>
<p>So if you’re very low income and get the full Pell Grant of about $5K, and you get the typical Stafford loan and work study, they need to be prepared to still pay over $40,000 per year unless you’re from an unusually generous state.</p>