<p>The way it works, as you have discovered, is that though you are an adult for most things at age 18, when it comes to colleges, your parents have the control, just as they did for your high school. If they do not want to pay, they do not have to do so. </p>
<p>What I tell all kids and parents who are looking at colleges, regardless of their goals, is to look for a college that is sure to take you, affordable, doable and has courses you can take, that you can like. You may have to work at the “like” part. Look at your local options and see what is there that you can use for the first year or so, and do your absolute best there. I’ve seen people use community and local colleges in ways that were great stepping stones. Get some of the core requirements out of the way, and get into the college mode, exhaust those resources at that school. Make the most of it. </p>
<p>You might also want to look at MomfromTexas’s thread on full ride scholarships and see what’s out there that might pay your way. These are not schools that are well known, but if you find a match and you can swing it yourself, it could be another alternative for you to consider.</p>