Recession forces changes on prospective collegiansBY KARLA SCHUSTER AND JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER, Newsday

As college acceptance letters land in mailboxes across Long Island, the economic crisis is forcing families and students to seek financial aid in larger numbers and forgo things they took for granted only a year ago - like living on campus, attending a far-flung private institution or even getting into increasingly popular, and competitive, state schools.