<p>Alright, so it sounds like my parents are going to refuse to pay for my college education. However, they're absolutely loaded, and as such my financial aid qualifications are essentially null and void. I've already sent off the FAFSA and PROFILE and all those sorts of things (with the expectation that my parents were going to be paying for my education), so I can't modify those now...</p>
<p>Is there anything I can do? I could probably pay my way through state schools on my own, especially with the merit scholarships I'm receiving (National Merit and such), but I'd really like to go out-of-state.</p>
<p>I'm still not positive that they won't pay for anything, and I do still live with one of them (making me dependent, rather than classified as independent), but I'm checking up ahead of time just in case.</p>
<p>For financial aid purposes, you are considered a dependent regardless of where you live, except for certain specified conditions. (Take a look at fafsa.ed.gov to find out the conditions.)</p>
<p>The only thing you can do is apply to colleges at which you might get significant merit aid.</p>
<p>doctorsboy: Well my father simply won't support me out-of-state. He'll give me something if I remain in-state, but he doesn't appear to believe my college education is that important. My mother says she'll support me if I abide by the rules of her house... But she's got somewhat inhuman expectations of me. I know I won't live up to them.</p>
<p>Chedva: Thanks for that, though it's rather disheartening. It looks like I'm stuck in-state, 'cause there's no hope of me getting aid outside the state. I can't believe there's no exception for students not supported by their parents!</p>
<p>RenaissancePonce, I can relate. My parents won't be paying for my college education either. </p>
<p>Hang in there! You can definitely get merit scholarships for your National Merit standing. Also, if you have a high SAT/ACT and a good GPA, this will also make you an attractive candidate for merit scholarships.</p>
<p>Wow...so sorry about that. I am a parent and cannot believe when parents won't help out ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY HAVE THE MONEY. I can understand if a parent can't pay....but I would sell everything to send our kids to college if possible. Renaissance and murky, what states do you live in?</p>
<p>Thanks murky. Do you think it would help if, once I've received my acceptance, I call in to relate my situation? My SAT scores and my GPA are well above average (I have many of my stats posted in the Vanderbilt forum), but they won't be considered exceptional. Have you done anything of note to aid in pulling the funds together?</p>
<p>And Russ, I live in Florida. Tampa, Florida. The full situation is that my mother has pledged that she will pay, but only if I stop being "wasteful". She defines "wasteful", though, as spending time doing anything other than working, schooling, doing housework, or being involved in some school-related club meeting. So I'm not allowed much, if any, time for my friends or girlfriend, unless I'm doing homework with them. I'm considering just dealing with the lack of social time for these last two school months just to get the moolah, but I REALLY don't want to blow of my friends.</p>
<p>All in all, I suppose I'm not as bad off as murky, because as it sounds to me as though he has no outs. But I believe I'm justified in my position.</p>
<p>Haha, thanks Christalena, but I really feel like I might be spinning my mother in a bad light; she does do great things for me. She pays for my car insurance, my clothes, my clubs and tests and college apps... And I get to do cool things like go skiing or boarding on spring break, or scuba diving on weekends, or any miscellaneous things like that. So it's not like she's a terrible mother. I love her. I just get annoyed when I point out everything I do that's above and beyond 90% of students, yet it's still not enough!</p>
<p>No problem!! Just call financial aid at your schools and tell them you don't want to follow mommy's rules so you'll need someone else to pay for your education. They'll give you a full scholarship!!</p>
<p>Sounds like your mom might be trying to teach you a lesson about entitlement.</p>
<p>I may well stay in-state. I just hate Florida and it's climate. I'm a snow and mountain sort of person. And while I really do like New College, the schools in this state are less than preferable when compared to UVA, UNC, and the like.</p>
<p>Suze, I definitely understand what you're saying. I wouldn't be surprised if that's exactly what the lesson is meant to be. I just don't understand why she's trying to teach it to me - I've never acted like I'm entitled to her money. It wouldn't bother me so much if she had told me a year ago that she wasn't going to pay for my education, because then I would have had more time to make arrangements on my own. Notifying me just a week before I get my acceptances seems to be rather unfair, and frankly, rude.</p>
<p>You've sounded very entitled here: "I can't believe there's no exception.....". You seem to think you're entitled to have someone pay your way. IMO your mom isn't asking much if she wants 2 months of something less than hard labor in exchange for a college education of your choosing!</p>
<p>You'd be surprised, Renaissance, what some kids have to deal with. You are not, in fact, entitled to a bankrolled out-of-state cushy college experience. Suck it up--a lot of kids do.</p>
<p>Thanks suze and jimbob, for your input. It really is only two months I have to deal with. I'm sure my girlfriend can wait that long. I've got APs comin' up anyway. I'm not being sarcastic, either. I see that other kids have a lot more to deal with - poverty, for one. I'm really just posting to find out if there's any way for me to make it out of state, independent of my parents, if my mother's opinions of me turn for the worse. I don't have a problem doing a work-study program or something.</p>
<p>And I apologize for sounding entitled. What I had meant by "I can't believe there's no exception..." was that it seems, from my perspective, unfair that a child with no parental support and poor parents has a colossally better chance of making it out-of-state than a child with no parental support and rich parents.</p>
<p>Might want to contact financial aid offices about the situation. It's a bit late now, but you can at least try (I'm assuming you're a senior now)</p>
<p>Personally, I think your frustrations are justified. You have illuminated the problem with FA - it is really for the needy PARENTS and not the students.</p>
<p>EVERY 18-year old needs FA in order to go to college (unless s/he has a trust fund). Applicants who have rich parents who won't pay get nothing from the FA office, and end up with very limited choices (such as community college work/study).</p>
<p>Meanwhile, applicants who have poor parents can go just about anywhere they choose with FA that fills their need.</p>
<p>Our son has worked his butt off all thru school and we will find a way for him to go to college no matter what. We are middle class and it will be a struggle for us, but there is no way we would not help him out. I see what a hassle even trying to get financial help is at this point. Now on the otherhand, if he would have been a slacker thru school and not tried at all, we would probably now tell him that we will pay initially for a two year community college and then he could transfer to a four year college if he proved himself. I have a friend who's daughter has been getting D's and F's and has several absences and tardy's. In that case, I would have given her a warning her sophmore year that if she straightens up and tries very hard, I would pay for four year college, if not, she has to prove herself at the two year community college and then could transfer if she changes positively in her behavior.</p>