<p>The parents chose to send her there, when she had full scholarship offers elsewhere. That was when the contolling behavior started. The articles all say her parents were caring enough to pay the extra to send her there, but given their more recent behavior, I wonder if that was not calculated from the beginning. If she had gone to a school with a full ride, they would not have been able to hold their financial support over her for 3 years. They were paying, she was beholden to them. She may have been naive enough (most are at age 17 or 18), to not realize the game they were playing when they suggested they should pay $20,000 each year, rather than accept a full ride.</p>
<p>Smokymtngirl, you are in a position where you know your parents don’t plan to contribute, and can plan accordingly. She on the other hand, had the proverbial rug pulled out from under her. I would consider your case similar only if they had promised to help pay, allowed you apply ED to your dream school, and then declared they wouldn’t pay a dime. Though you would at least be in a position to turn down an ED admission due to financial reasons, and apply elsewhere.</p>