<p>Thanks for your advice, everyone. :)</p>
<p>Xiggi has the right idea: when I discussed financial aid with my parents during the application process, they guessed -- reluctantly -- that they'd be able to contribute at most $10,000. European parents very rarely pay for any of their children's education, so my situation is already exceptional; most Swedish students fund their own education using a combination of government grants and very favorable student loans (2-3% interest over 25 years, which comes out to a monthly payment of <$300; the discussion about it is here</a>). </p>
<p>I obviously don't need $10,000 (and probably wouldn't accept it even if they offered), but since I'm the first person in my extended family to attend college in the United States, I don't really have a frame of reference here. I'd love to be financially independent, but I don't know if the ~$1,500 I'll have left after paying for tuition, room, board, and required fees will be enough to cover books, clothes, and anything else (while I don't expect to spend much on entertainment in Hanover, NH, I'd hate to be so strapped for cash that I couldn't afford a movie or a book that isn't required every now and then ;)).</p>