In the US graduating from a four-year college and getting a good job in today’s economic climate is very difficult. Accomplishing that without the cooperation of your parents is almost impossible.

Here are the five areas where you need help from your parents:

FAFSA

You will need your parent’s Federal tax information to complete the FAFSA. Ideally your parents will help you complete the FAFSA. (You should have filed your FAFSA for the 2017-18 school year last October. If you haven’t filed, do it now.) If your parents won’t cooperate, you have a MAJOR problem.

Financial Planning

Four year college degrees are expensive. For many families post-secondary education expenses are their second biggest expenditure—after their house. Many families don’t prepare adequate financial plans. It is almost impossible for a teenager to prepare a sufficient four year plan by themselves. (Poor or nonexistent financial plans is a major source of our nation’s student loan crisis.)

Here’s my favorite college budget template:

vertex42.com/ExcelTemplates/college-budget.html

Application Management

I include school selection in this category starting with affordability. The other activities include preparing applications, collecting reference letters, managing deadlines, etc. This is a project. It requires project management. It is the exceptional teen who can pull this off by himself.

The “experts” commonly recommend applying to six to eight schools. That seems like a lot of applications, but you need to consider “safety,” “probable,” and “reach” schools.

Safety

You will need two safety schools. Everyone knows you need an academic fallback. What they don’t think about is a school (or a plan) that will work without excessive student loans if your financial package doesn’t come through as anticipated.

Probable

Students commonly apply to two to four schools where they are likely to be accepted.

Reach

These are the top choices, but ones that are less likely to accept the student. Students should have one or two colleges in this category.

When you consider the all the options six to eight applications doesn’t seem unreasonable.

At a minimum you are going to need an Excel spreadsheet. There is a free app available at makemeafreshman.com.

Common Application

If you are completing the Common Application, at a minimum, you are going to have to interview your parents for some basic information. This task isn’t hard, but if your parents won’t help, you have a problem.

Miscellaneous

There are some other situations where parental information or assistance can help:

• Some schools allow an optional recommendation where your parents can write a letter extolling your virtues.
• You need to know if either of you parents COMPLETED college. If not, you are “first generation.” That can give you an advantage.
• Do you have “legacy” status, i.e. did one or more of your parents graduate from a particular school?
• Are you a developmental case, i.e. have your parents or grandparents donated to the school?

Unless you were born before January 1, 1994 (for the 2017-18 school year) it is very difficult to be declared “independent.” See the FAFSA website for the details.

Even if you can find a knowledgeable mentor, you’re going to need your parent’s financial data. Do you have a grandparent or a member of your church who can influence your parents?

Another alternative, if you can live at home, is to work your way through community college. The costs are a lot lower and there are fewer “hoops to jump through.” With a marketable associate’s degree you could make enough money to become financially self-sufficient.