18 yr old is suing parents for college education

[barkley]

It states they are EXPECTED to. And yes that is why it was set up but there was no plan for parents who refuse to help their children especially if they have high enough incomes that they don't receive aid. The student can not apply on their own even in these cases .

then I guess these students have to make the same applications that hundreds of thousands of students whose parents DO the fafsa, are found to be ineligible to any form of government subsidized aide or loans but can't help with college (not by choice-by financial reality)-

apply for scholarships (not all require fafsa application)

apply for a job.


my local town is a 'college town'. public university. there are plenty of current high school students/recent grads working and saving towards attendance. even more current college students working while attending. it may not be the easiest way, but it is a viable way.

 

[Tomader]

All these responses are pure speculation. None of us know what is really going on. Kids in this generation all want to live the Kardasion life. The parents usually give in and create the problems they have. Can you imagine what a parent 20-30 years ago would have done in this situation? What we have lost is respect. Sad what has become of this generation. A lot of blame goes to the parents. I hope they build more nursing homes. Kids of this generation will be using them.

 

[daughtersrus]

Yep. And this is why many colleges and universities just make it a flat out rule that if you want any type of aid or scholarship you must file the FAFSA.
Bottom line, it's about fairness to all their students.

In the situation I was talking about, one parent refuses to file FAFSA because they don't want their ex-husband to know how much money they make or how much they have in investments.

 

[skylizard]

no one said anything about free! BUT the federal government does say you do owe them help toward college. I'm just pointing out a flaw in the system. The federal government does expect parents to contribute to their child's college costs until they are 24. all aid to the student is based on parental income up till 24. If parents chose not to do what is expected of them then students should be able to cut themselves from the parents and apply on their own, now they can't. If your parents make $100,000 and you are not eligible for any aid but they don't give you a cent then you can't get any help anywhere and this is not right.

I agree. My parents didn't help me pay for college and yet I had to include my parents income on the aid application. I don't understand their reasoning beind that.

 

[NaLisa]

My oldest DS and DH had a huge fight when he was a senior and DS moved in with a friend. I had a friend who knew what was going on as I had confided in her and saw her every week. She was a neighbor of the family that DS was living with at the time and they were telling everyone what awful people we were at a Pampered Chef party.

The friend told our side of the story and DS was home a few days later. I can't help but think that is what is going on here. They are only hearing the DDs side of the story and trust me, 18 year olds can be very convincing when they want to be.

Its a family problem that has gone public. I am sad for all involved.

The young woman filed a lawsuit. The father is the one who went public and is talking to the media, calling his daughter "spoiled" and a "liar."

Just found a copy of the lawsuit, and it makes me much more sympathetic toward the daughter: http://cbsnewyork.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/rachel-canning.pdf

Will be interesting to see what comes out in court today.

 

[okeydokey]

no one said anything about free! BUT the federal government does say you do owe them help toward college. I'm just pointing out a flaw in the system. The federal government does expect parents to contribute to their child's college costs until they are 24. all aid to the student is based on parental income up till 24. If parents chose not to do what is expected of them then students should be able to cut themselves from the parents and apply on their own, now they can't. If your parents make $100,000 and you are not eligible for any aid but they don't give you a cent then you can't get any help anywhere and this is not right.

I agree that a child should be able to emancipate from parents if parents will not help them with college, but I don't believe the parents "owe" kids help toward college. To owe indicates a requirement, and there is no requirement to pay a penny to college. This girl wants her parents to butt out of her life but continue sending money, which is ridiculous.

 

[lizzi6692]

The young woman filed a lawsuit. The father is the one who went public and is talking to the media, calling his daughter "spoiled" and a "liar."

Just found a copy of the lawsuit, and it makes me much more sympathetic toward the daughter: http://cbsnewyork.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/rachel-canning.pdf

Will be interesting to see what comes out in court today.

The people on the parent's side need to read that. It shows that everything being talked about in the media is coming straight from the parents. Even if the things her parents are saying are true( which I highly doubt) I can't imagine saying those things about your child especially if you're claiming that you want them to come home. Also, the link explains that while yes Rachel is in therapy it's not for the reason the parent's want you to believe. She's seeing a therapist for bulimia that was caused by her mother calling her fat for years. These people are definitely not the wonderful parents so many of you want to believe they are.

 

[Lorelei Lee]

Thanks for the link to the court documents. I'll read the brief later, but I did read the mother's affidavit and the daughter's.

Honest opinion? There are no innocent parties here. Parents are abusive and daughter is out of control.

 

[rickybobby]

Hurry CDC. We need the affluenza vaccine

 

[Imzadi]

Local ABC news just stated the judge has ruled one ONE issue so far.

The parents will NOT have to pay for the rest of her high school education as prior donations paid it off.


The college ruling will be at a later date. The judge said it was too complicated to rule on today.

 

[RitaE]

The young woman filed a lawsuit. The father is the one who went public and is talking to the media, calling his daughter "spoiled" and a "liar."

Just found a copy of the lawsuit, and it makes me much more sympathetic toward the daughter: http://cbsnewyork.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/rachel-canning.pdf

Will be interesting to see what comes out in court today.

I read it and had the exact opposite reaction - especially the attached email where Rachel expresses a desire to **** on her Mother's face. The letter from Child Services is attached stating that an investigation was conducted including interviews with the other children in the home and no findings of abuse.

Rachel has indeed been suspended twice in the past year for underaged drinking and skipping school. Once to go to her boyfriend's house for the day.

Lots of family drama being thrown around but the fact remains, Child Services finds no evidence of abuse and the parents state that if Rachel chooses to return to their household they will provide for her support …. Rachel's argument pretty much boils down to "But they have lots of money and I want to go to college so they should just give it to me!!!!!!!"

If Rachel truly despises the yoke of parental authority that much then her best bet is to get herself graduated from High School and then figure out how she is going to manage to support herself, the way millions of others do.

 

[jcano]

There are no innocent parties here. Parents are abusive and daughter is out of control.

Think you summed it up pretty well.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Local ABC news just stated the judge has ruled one ONE issue so far.

The parents will NOT have to pay for the rest of her high school education as prior donations paid it off.


The college ruling will be at a later date. The judge said it was too complicated to rule on today.

I expected that one to be honest.

As far as college, the girl will be able to get a "dependency override" and this will be based on the college she chooses. In the end the parents will not be forced to pay for her college is my guess.

My DH got a "dependency override" in the 80's even before all the new rules due to his mother being an unmedicated schizophrenic.

Section 479A(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended by section 472(a)(4) of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, allows dependent students to obtain an unsubsidized Stafford loan without parental information on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) if the college financial aid administrator "verifies that the parent or parents of such student have ended financial support of such student and refuse to file such form."

Most students would get more financial aid if their parents complete the FAFSA or if the student is granted a dependency override. But perhaps this provision will allow some students to complete their education despite their parents refusal to help.

http://www.finaid.org/otheraid/parentsrefuse.phtml

 

[Mkrop]

The people on the parent's side need to read that. It shows that everything being talked about in the media is coming straight from the parents. Even if the things her parents are saying are true( which I highly doubt) I can't imagine saying those things about your child especially if you're claiming that you want them to come home. Also, the link explains that while yes Rachel is in therapy it's not for the reason the parent's want you to believe. She's seeing a therapist for bulimia that was caused by her mother calling her fat for years. These people are definitely not the wonderful parents so many of you want to believe they are.

I read it...she sounds like a spolied out of control teen, who doesnt understand that people survive all the time without mommy and daddy's money, she is not entitled to one dime of it. She can drop out, get a full time job, go live with that stellar boyfriend, and get her GED and then go to college on her own dime.

The parents may or may not be abusive, and if that is the case, you would think she would want no parts of them...they are not good enough to be her parents but they are good enough to be her ATM. If my parents were abusing me I would be hightailing it out of there and would not want ANY ties to them.

This girl has gotten in plenty of trouble on her own. What if this girl was from a poor family and was being treated in the same manner she claims, that girl would not be suing bc there is nothing to sue for, this girl just sees dollar signs.

I read it and had the exact opposite reaction - especially the attached email where Rachel expresses a desire to **** on her Mother's face. The letter from Child Services is attached stating that an investigation was conducted including interviews with the other children in the home and no findings of abuse.

Rachel has indeed been suspended twice in the past year for underaged drinking and skipping school. Once to go to her boyfriend's house for the day.

Lots of family drama being thrown around but the fact remains, Child Services finds no evidence of abuse and the parents state that if Rachel chooses to return to their household they will provide for her support …. Rachel's argument pretty much boils down to "But they have lots of money and I want to go to college so they should just give it to me!!!!!!!"
If Rachel truly despises the yoke of parental authority that much then her best bet is to get herself graduated from High School and then figure out how she is going to manage to support herself, the way millions of others do.

 

[RitaE]

I expected that one to be honest.

As far as college, the girl will be able to get a "dependency override" and this will be based on the college she chooses. In the end the parents will not be forced to pay for her college is my guess.

My DH got a "dependency override" in the 80's even before all the new rules due to his mother being an unmedicated schizophrenic.

http://www.finaid.org/otheraid/parentsrefuse.phtml

Yes, that is possible but the fact still remains that the Stafford Loan limits will not come anywhere near covering even tuition much less tuition plus room and board at any University. That route will pretty much get her a means to pay for Community College.

 

[JanaDee]

I read it and had the exact opposite reaction - especially the attached email where Rachel expresses a desire to **** on her Mother's face. The letter from Child Services is attached stating that an investigation was conducted including interviews with the other children in the home and no findings of abuse. Rachel has indeed been suspended twice in the past year for underaged drinking and skipping school. Once to go to her boyfriend's house for the day. Lots of family drama being thrown around but the fact remains, Child Services finds no evidence of abuse and the parents state that if Rachel chooses to return to their household they will provide for her support …. Rachel's argument pretty much boils down to "But they have lots of money and I want to go to college so they should just give it to me!!!!!!!" If Rachel truly despises the yoke of parental authority that much then her best bet is to get herself graduated from High School and then figure out how she is going to manage to support herself, the way millions of others do.

Yup.

 

[NotUrsula]

then I guess these students have to make the same applications that hundreds of thousands of students whose parents DO the fafsa, are found to be ineligible to any form of government subsidized aide or loans but can't help with college (not by choice-by financial reality)-

apply for scholarships (not all require fafsa application)

apply for a job.


my local town is a 'college town'. public university. there are plenty of current high school students/recent grads working and saving towards attendance. even more current college students working while attending. it may not be the easiest way, but it is a viable way.

The thing is, if you are really unable to provide financial assistance to your children "by financial reality", then they can appeal the aid decision and apply for add'l funding opportunities. It means opening your family financial records wide-open, but if there truly is a hardship situation, case-by-case reviews often allow for more aid. I went through a review every single year that I was in school, because the school never believed that we could possibly be as poor as we appeared on paper.

I'm old, and I went to school mostly on Pell Grants. I *do* remember that some people got away with just taking their children off their taxes and declaring them independent in order to make them eligible for more federal funds while still "feeding them under the table" all the while, However, at least at my school, there weren't many of them, because declaring that way if your parents were alive triggered an automatic review, and it was quite thorough. The student had to show tax returns of their own, social services paperwork, receipts for household bills; all kinds of things to back up the assertion that they were supporting themselves on their own.

In this digital age, it is quite hard to hide the reality of your financial life unless you are going to go to the trouble of resorting to offshore accounts. There is a middle ground between barring all presumption of independence prior to age 24 (assuming that you don't fit the other circumstance exceptions), or saying that just because a student claims independence that the Feds should take them at their word. It is possible to require evidence and to verify that evidence, and I think that is what should be done in such cases.

 

[lsyorke]

Yes, that is possible but the fact still remains that the Stafford Loan limits will not come anywhere near covering even tuition much less tuition plus room and board at any University. That route will pretty much get her a means to pay for Community College.

And there's nothing wrong with that. If you can't afford a University, you go to Community College.

 

[EMode]

The people on the parent's side need to read that. It shows that everything being talked about in the media is coming straight from the parents. Even if the things her parents are saying are true( which I highly doubt) I can't imagine saying those things about your child especially if you're claiming that you want them to come home. Also, the link explains that while yes Rachel is in therapy it's not for the reason the parent's want you to believe. She's seeing a therapist for bulimia that was caused by her mother calling her fat for years. These people are definitely not the wonderful parents so many of you want to believe they are.

I don't think reading that does anything to help the daughter's case. After reading it, I'm definitely siding with the parents on this one.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Yes, that is possible but the fact still remains that the Stafford Loan limits will not come anywhere near covering even tuition much less tuition plus room and board at any University. That route will pretty much get her a means to pay for Community College.

That is true for the Stafford.

If you are granted "dependency override" with the college of your choice you will get financial aid. How much remains to be seen.