<p>Hey, I'm pretty unfamiliar with this site, but I'm hoping someone can help me out here. My family's income is over $100,000, but I have been informed that my parents would rather not pay for college if I don't plan on going into the medicinal field, which I absolutely don't. So right now (I'm a junior) it looks like I'll be on my own expense-wise. I'll be 17 both when I file the FAFSA and when I enter my freshman year of college, and therefore legally dependent on my parents. How do I inform the government and prospective colleges that my family won't be contributing anything to my education?</p>
<p>You can't, you are considered a dependent student until the age of 24.</p>
<p>only way to change that is to be 100% self supporting or married.</p>
<p>You can't. They don't care. If it were that easy, every parent would say, "Sorry, I'm not paying."</p>
<p>Colleges and the federal government calculate financial aid on the basis of what parents can pay, not what they want to pay. And for FAFSA purposes, you are considered a dependent until you are 24.</p>
<p>It's tough being in your situation, but you are far from alone. You'll have to figure out some other way to pay for college, perhaps by going part time or to community college, or applying to colleges at which you will be eligible for significant merit aid.</p>
<p>Or you'll have to figure out how to change your parents' minds, or conform to their wishes.</p>
<p>You can inform the colleges, but it will have absolutely no impact on their awarding of need based financial aid. The colleges do not base their awards on what a family WILL pay, they base their awards on a formula they use to determine what your family CAN pay.</p>
<p>For financial aid purposes, undergraduates must report parent income and assets. Undergrads for FINANCIAL AID purposes are seldom independent students (unless, as noted, you are married, have dependent children YOU support totally, are a veteran, or are over 24 years of age).</p>
<p>You can start looking for schools where your high school performance is in the higher end of their accepted student stats, and where you may qualify for merit aid.</p>
<p>Another thing...why can't you take up a course of study that will blend what you like and what your parents "think" you should be doing? Bottom line is that many students change their majors. If your parents are pushing for "premed", there really is no such major. Folks go into the "medicinal fields" as grads from virtually every undergrad major. We know a fabulous music performer who is now in nursing school for a masters.</p>