I'm on financial aid, do I have to pay a 1,400 deposit for my dorm?

Hi, quick question about dorms and financial aid.

I am going to school at CUNY in New York City and I just moved here to attend college from Chicago.

I decided to stay on campus because me nor my family could afford to get an apartment in the city, and knew my financial aid would pay for it. Before I moved, I told the dorm facility that I'd be using financial aid to pay the fees, and they said that was fine, but a week after I got here, they called and told me my room was reserved but I'd have to wait until the loans were disbursed (in late February) to move in unless I paid a 1,400 fee upfront and out of pocket to move in.

This completely threw me and my family for a loop, because we are broke and I'm in a new city with nowhere to stay after another week (I spent most of what I had to stay in a weekly room which I thought would be temporary).

The person who told me everything was fine was clearly uninformed. I know the school's dorms are pretty reputable, but I can't help but feel slighted and worried after this misinformation.

I'm getting pell, map, and a small Federal loan, and it's enough to pay for everything, but my dorm facility seems determined to make me homeless until February....if the room will still even be there.

Can anyone tell me if they can do that? Or if there's anything I can do?

I have tried to get help from my school, but since it's my first semester and I don't have an established GPA (though I was an excellent student at the college I transferred from), they said no dice.

Can anyone tell me what to do here? If anything? I'm already registered and I can't really go back home if I wanted to.

Also, I have an EFC of 0.... So that should say SOMETHING....

Gulp???