Go in the direction now of establishing documentation you would need for a dependency overrride (see above). Make sure you talk with your guidance counselor, teachers other adult friends to start to establish the people you are going to need to write you letters to document your situation. This can be done. It isn’t easy, but it can happen. It sounds like you are going to need to find a safe place to go to get away from them. Do you have any supportive friends or other family who could help you?
Based on what Op has written there is nothing that supports a dependency override. Basically Op parents are traditional, strict and want to go back to Pakistan. Getting s dependency override is a well documented detailed process that usually involve other third parties: police,children services , courts etc.
To get emancipated I think you’d need to either prove abuse to the authorities or get your parents to tell the judge something like they don’t want to/can’t take care of you. And given OPs situation it sounds like they might just send them to Pakistan faster before they’re 18.
There have been documented cases of parents forcing their daughters back to the home country then marrying them off by force. A social work colleague worked a case of a woman sent back by her parents to work for a family friend temporarily but it was a rouse because once there she was abducted, raped and then impregnated and forced to marry. All with the consent of her parents and the family friend. I know this sounds extreme and the social worker met the parents and they seemed nice and sweet. It wasn’t until the woman was able to get the medical staff and social worker by themselves that the traumas came out. Definitely not saying this is the case here but if OP is afraid of being forced into a marriage then this is legitimate.
you do not list your SAT or ACT score. it would be better to first shoot for a 4-year scholarship, because if you start off with community college you will no longer be eligible for such a scholarship.
a large automatic merit scholarship is your best option because it sounds like you will not get the necessary cooperation from your parents to get need-based financial aid.
you must maintain at least a 3.5 GPA and start preparing to ace the SAT/ACT exam. if you score high enough then take advantage of automatic full tuition scholarship from Alabama, Alabama-Huntsville, Ole Miss, Louisiana Tech, or some other school from this list:
http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/
you could also apply for the Coast Guard Academy as it would be tuition-free and would not require a congressional recommendation.
http://www.cga.edu/
you should only do the community college route if you are unable to secure a 4-year freshman scholarship that will make a bachelors degree affordable for you to attain on your own. community college is a good option for the first two years but the problem will be affording the second 2 years at university.
if you are interested in nursing then that might work well with a community college plan. in our state you can go to community college for 3 years to get an Associate Degree in Nursing which will allow you to be an RN. then the 4th year is a one-year RN-to-BSN program. in this scenario a student would have a 4-year Bachelors degree in Nursing, but 3 of those years are completed at the much less expensive community college.
There are transfer scholarships you know!
Jack kent cooke gives you up to 40k a year
Jack Kent Cooke (College Scholarship OR Transfer Scholarship) may be an option. I didn’t get an overall financial sense of the family from this post, maybe I missed it. Also didn’t get scores. A 3.6UW is low for JKC but may be ok outweighed by the special circumstances here.
Let me know if you plan to apply, OP. I won in 2015. It’s a great program with more money up for grabs than just the 40k for college, too.
Assuming OP is in Illinois, a quick Google search shows she cannot meet the qualifications to become emancipated (which oddly include parental permission!).
I encourage OP to start exploring living options and don’t become set on one plan. Perhaps you will have to work for a few years, even just in a fast food job. Maybe there is a teacher or counselor who can help you, maybe someone needs a live in babysitter and you can take a class or 2…lots of possibilities, just keep your mind open.
After a year or 2 of living independently and supporting yourself, you will be in a better position for a dependency override. Or like many earlier generations, maybe you will continue to take classes part-time, online, etc., for your degree.
@kelsmom oh, that’s unfortunate. Do you think I would still be able to afford community college?
@nw2this Yes I have, but I would be disqualified due to old self harm scars.
@sybbie719 I have dealt with physical and verbal abuse but I only have pictures from one incident of physical abuse. DCFS got involved, but I tried to drop the case as there wasn’t substantial evidence (no date or timing or proof that the pics of my swollen face was due to my parents). My school psychologist is also aware of it. However, I do not know if that’s enough for me to get an override.
@Wien2NC thank you, that was very helpful (:
Is it recent. The schools are mandated reporters. Did they report the incident to children services. Have their been any other events