Why did your dad allow you to dorm last year but not this year? It sounds like a financial situation. Students generally get less money if they live off campus than if they dorm, and when you dormed your parents had to pay out-of-pocket. Maybe you should run through the numbers with your dad and see if the aid you were awarded is enough to live off campus. If you get $2400/quarter (I think that’s $800/mo for 3 months, right?) and rent is $560/month, you have $60/week for food, utilities, and entertainment. Are you sure that’s enough?