<p>I know this will smack of "melodramatic teen", and the chances of this happening are slim, but I'd still like some advice.</p>
<p>My parents are being difficult about my enrollment Northwestern. I've been accepted and sent in my deposit, etc., already, but my parents make enough money that I have to rely heavily on them to pay for it. Northwestern is giving me less than 10k in aid per year, so I need my parents to help me with the rest. </p>
<p>However, they seem to think they can use this as leverage to make me do anything and everything. I know it's not likely that they'll follow through and actually not pay for it, but I'm tired of them holding it over my head and, honestly, I feel uncomfortable with them paying for so much of it anyway.</p>
<p>So what I'm wondering is this: If I take a gap year and become financially independent, when I reapply for aid next year can I be considered an independent? How does one go about letting Northwestern know?</p>
<p>I'm sure a lot of people go through this with their parents, but in my case, it's getting a bit extreme, and I'd like some contingency plans :P</p>
<p>If this is a problem now it will be a problem for four years. Time to sit down and work it out. Sounds like maybe they are not too thrilled with how much the EFC turned out to be.</p>
<p>A gap year alone will not mean that you are considered financially independent for financial aid purposes. It’s very difficult to obtain this status.</p>
<p>TakeitElizab, under various federal rules it is very difficult to be considered independent for financial aid purposes. You can look up the rules, but in general you have to be 24, in grad school,married, a veteran, etc.</p>
<p>And the federal definition doesn’t apply for institutional aid, either:</p>
<p>“8. My parents have told me they will no longer support me. What do I do to be considered an independent student?
A student is considered to be independent for federal funding purposes if he or she is 24 years of age, a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces, an orphan or ward of the court, has legal dependents other than a spouse, is married or is a graduate student. A student entering Northwestern as a dependent student will remain dependent for institutional funding unless he/she can provide documentation of extreme mitigating circumstances. Unwillingness to pay on the part of the parent is not considered a sufficient reason for a student to be considered independent.”</p>
<p>Sadly, Financial Aid is considered to be a joint venture whether that’s true or not. If you could get a full ride just by saying you’re flat broke and your parents won’t pay, do you think many parents would be willing to pay?</p>
<p>Trust me, I know what you mean about parents threatening to cut you off. It’s a pain in the ass, and unfortunately the way financial aid is done it’s hardly being “entitled” if you expect your parents to pay the way your school does. Just suck it up for now, Northwestern’s worth it. One thing to keep in mind is that parents have much more difficulty controlling you when you’re actually away at college.</p>
<p>Students whose parents REFUSE to pay them a DIME for their state school education still cannot be declared independent. These students usually go through all 4 yrs paying full freight out of their own pockets.</p>
<p>It’s unfair, but it’s the way the system works.</p>
<p>If you think your parents “aren’t actually going to take the money away” then they are spending A LOT more than many other parents would EVER pay. Yes it IS entitled to think they should be required to spend the money that the school says they should pay…that’s like saying if a stereo set is $1,000 your parents should pay for it because “that’s how much the company said it costs” <em>eye roll</em>.</p>
<p>HOWEVER you personally are not being entitled…because I assume if they sent the deposit in, they said you could go. At this point holding stuff over your head is just stressful and unfair. If they didn’t want to pay for it they could have said no and sent you somewhere else. But, hey - they’re doing a lot more than many parents. Be thankful, and remember (as another poster said) next year when you are away you are going to feel their control a lot less. The summer before college is always a tug and pull with the parents so hang in there until you can get away :).</p>
<p>A stereo is not considered a necessary start to a career, whereas it’s difficult if not impossible to break into many areas of work without a degree. If the very fact that your parents make a lot of money means college costs more, then it’s irresponsible of them not to pay at least some part, whether it’s fair or not.</p>
<p>Northwestern, even with 10K a year, costs a lot more than many other colleges. So, it’s not irresponsible for OP’s parents to say, no, I’m not paying 40K a year, even though NU tells me that is my “EFC”. OP’s parents didn’t have to pay for 4 yrs at NU - they could pay for any number of other universities/avenues to university instead. Just like the $1000 stereo is not the only option for playing music - there’s the $500 stereo, the CD player, the…you get it.</p>
<p>But like I said, they had OP submit the deposit and everything (I’m assuming), so at this point I’m not sure what they’re trying to accomplish and it does seem childish/irresponsible to threaten to cut OP off or whatever they’re doing. Well, that’s what it SEEMS like, although we don’t know what the OP is doing to get on their nerves, or if this is all just a reflection of their worry about the sacrifices they will have to make to make this work. So OP should sit back and be supremely grateful for the opportunity. OP said, in fact, that he/she didn’t think the parents would actually act on their threats. So I personally would just realize it could be a lot worse and hold tight until next year, when you’ll be living on your own in the dorm.</p>