<p>OK, so without going into family problems or anything of the sort, I am faced with a problem. Almost as bad as I want to go to college, I want to move out of the house. I even might be kicked out (due to parental factors, nothing I have "done" like illegal activity or anything like that). I turned 18 2 days ago.</p>
<p>My question...I got accepted under Early Decision to Vanderbilt University. My parents make about $100K a year, so the $47K a year isn't looking too hot right now anyway. They have already given me $23K on financial aid.
If I end up not living at home, with parents cutting me off entirely financially, what can I do? All of the money I get from working will have to go to rent for an apartment, a car, and food. Will Vanderbilt re-evaluate this situation and give aid accordingly? I know my parents are legally bound to pay for 1 year at Vandy under ED, but I am looking for the future. What about my sophomore, junior, and senior years? I will be stuck with a $47K tuition, but living off the skin of my teeth as it is. </p>
<p>It is my life dream to get the excellent education I will receive at Vandy. It is possible, in any way, shape, or form, that I can go to Vandy but literally have almost no money to pay for it?</p>
<p>If your parents don't get to write anything off conercning you on your taxes you are an independent person. If your job is paying for your basics it will show on the EFC that you can't contriubte anything.<br>
Some people do this as a strategy:
ie: I live in my parents townhouse and they charge me rent (the house is near the college) They take me off their tax returns and they pay me the amount of money as a salary that the rent is so I don't make anymoney. Therefore I get a lot of Financial aid. Make sure your parents don't get any tax breaks etc. from you. Then you are an indpendent person.</p>
<p>So in other words, even if I am kicked out, 100% financially separated from my parents, and all the money I make goes towards food, living, etc, Vanderbilt will make the difference? I'm already accepted, I am just so worried that I wouldn't be able to attend.</p>
<p>But, if you are cut off, would lay be legally bound to pay the first year? Can't have it both ways I would think</p>
<p>I mean, if you legally remove yourself from their responsibilty, what is their legal obligation with regards to the contract with ED?</p>
<p>Not knowing your parents, this could be an out for them even the first year. Why would THEY be legally bound when the contract to attend is with you or am I missing something and if you seperate yourself from them, and they didn't HAVE to pay that first yeard because you have been kicked out (which does not sound to amicable to me), do you trust them to come up with the first year anyway, out of the goodness of their heart. I bet they could fight the ED requirement that they pay if you are no longer a dependent, taxwise</p>
<p>But even if my parents get out of the binding to pay for ED, would Vanderbilt change my aid if I barely even had a source of income, coming from a part time job of my own?</p>
<p>You can check the CC archives on this to verify what I'm posting. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to be viewed by colleges as being independent. I believe that to do this, one has to be age 24 or married. Otherwise, it is next to impossible. That's because so many people used to scam the system.</p>
<p>Despite the ED contract, Vandy also can not force your parents to send you to college and pay whatever Vandy expects them to pay. Perhaps theoretically, Vandy could legally force your parents to do that, but I have never heard of a school suing a parent under those kind of circumstances. Indeed, when students back out of ED for flimsy reasons, colleges may blacklist them and their h.s., but I am not aware of any college suing a student and making them attend. </p>
<p>My suggestion is that difficult as your situation may be, your best and possibly only option is to stay at home and get along with your parents as best that you can so that they pay what is needed for you to go to Vandy.</p>
<p>$23k from the school right?
Well, if vandy is like most schools, they should give 23k every year for four years.
Which leaves you 24k to deal with for your soph, junior, senior years.. which is a bit reliving than 47k.
sorry im not much of a help. i hope all goes right with you.</p>
<p>Is it your parents are hard to live with or you have some stuff? You really need to think about your priorities and thnk about how you can work with your parents</p>
<p>What about working at Vanderbilt? Northstarmom is probably right about the legal stuff. ANd about perhaps "sucky it up" (my words) to get your education</p>
<p>If you are living at school, being a good kid now, for the next few months and apologizzzing and whatever it takes would be worth it if you could work it out with your parents</p>
<p>I finally left this morning. I am temporarily staying the weekend with my grandma, but have to make a decision by Monday. Is going to Vanderbilt going to make that much of a difference in the end? Will I still be able to make just as much money and be just as good of a physician if I had to go to say...UK instead? My options are live with somebody and pay for my own college or go back home (8 months, no car, no cell phone, no friends, never leaving the house except school. and they will not back down from this, i am 100% sure they will stick to this situation until I go to college) and get to go to Vanderbilt. </p>
<p>write a letter to department of education
i was an intern for my us senator and i dealt with all of his constituents
if you need any other help feel free to PM me</p>