17 and struggling

[Guest]

I am currently 17, and I've been wanting to move out for years. Now that I'm turning 18 I have the opportunity to do so, but not for another seven months. In that time I need to figure quite a bit out. My mom won't give me access to my own banking information, and won't tell me what my social security number is, she also won't give me access to my passport (right now it's my only primary form of identification). My citizenship is messed up because the paperwork from my adoption was messed up, so I also have to wait to be sworn in.
I am also applying for colleges, can I apply as an independent if I plan on being out of my house by the time I graduate high school? For the past year, I have been slowly sorting through everything I want to get everything packed, so I can move out the night I turn 18.
I've been struggling to be on my mom's "good side," but anything I do just ends with her relentlessly yelling at me, and in the past year and a half I have been adamant about leaving. So any advice would be amazing.

[ccsmod10]

Hi there,

Thanks so much for reaching out. It sounds like you’re trying to figure a lot of things out in your life, and we hope to help.

A lot of the questions you’re asking somehow involve the law. We are not legal experts, so we may be unable to explicitly answer some of these questions. However, you can feel free to call us at 1-800-786-2929 so we can put you in contact with legal aid resources that serve your community.

One resource we can provide you that may help you with determining your dependency status is from the office of Federal Student Aid: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/f...or-independent. This website provides a list of qualifiers that would make one eligible to file as an independent. Of note, not living with parents or not being claimed by them on tax forms does not make you an independent student for purposes of applying for federal student aid. We also can let you that it appears that if you needed to re-apply for a social security card or if you needed to re-apply for a passport that you may have to provide these agencies with proof of citizenship. Again, we may be able to provide you legal aid resources if you call us.

Again, it sounds like you are going through a very difficult situation trying to get on your mother’s “good side,” as you call it. You deserve to feel appreciated and worthy in your own home. If you would like any emotional support in these trying times, you can also feel free to call us, and one of our skilled crisis counselors can provide these services for you.

Best of luck,
NRS