<p>Have they told you how much they are able and willing to contribute? Sometimes parents promise to pay for college without knowing how much that can be.</p>
<p>Remember that you can only borrow a limited amount on your own ($5,500 for the first year). It appears that many colleges assume that you can up to $3,000 per year in work earnings. So your parents’ contribution plus $8,500 is probably the outside limit on what you can afford (and you and your parents would have somewhat more financial breathing space if the net price were lower than that).</p>