<p>While I can’t imagine why any parent would oppose their child going to Stanford, it is not abuse to refuse to pay college tuition. No one has a right to demand that someone give them $250,000, whether it be a college that you want to attend or your parents. </p>
<p>Financial aid programs presume that parents will pay. And, frankly, they have to do that. Otherwise, anyone could get their child a free ride by just “refusing to pay.” In a situation like this, where a parent truly refuses to pay it puts the student in a bad spot, but that’s how it works. </p>
<p>I would strongly recommend against doing anything behind your parents’ back. Investigate all your options thoroughly. If your first choice remains a college they refuse to pay for, explain to them why you are so passionate about it (and, no, national ranking is not relevant). They may come around, they may not. If they don’t, then pick a school they will either pay for or you can pay for yourself (as others have suggested). But don’t make a bad situation worse by trying to secretly apply to schools without them knowing.</p>