16 & want to G*** away from my crazy parents as easily and legally as possible

[Unregistered]

Hi! I'm 16 & my parents are crazy. Not in the "ugh they're annoying" way, but in the "my mom's favorite pasttime is threatening to kill me and screaming at me" way. I imagine your first suggestion is CPS. I've gone through that and they basically say "your parents are rich (actually they're middle class but my parents wanna put on airs; they're in a ******** ton of debt bc they wanna pretend they're upper middle class) what are you complaining about/you misbehave so you deserve this/blablabla". So that's no help. But I'm still totally done with my parents and I know that staying with them is negatively affecting me (STRESS!!!!). I work 30 hours a week so that I can save up for gettin the heck away from these crazies. I'm a senior in high school. Right now I'm planning for far in the future as in "where can I get a full ride so that I have the option of never talking to these crazies again?". Luckily I know that I qualify for automatic/guaranteed 100% full ride at a couple of schools, such that I can pay the remaining cost off of the savings I already have.

Annnyways I'm totally done with my crazy parents and want to G*** right NOW! Can I do that? Is it illegal? I would probably stay with my friend (I've talked to her parents and they're totally cool as long as I contribute to chores and stuff, which I totally would be fine with) and would tell my parents first (and they'd be totally fine to get rid of me cuz they hate my guts). But my parents are also crazy so if they turn around and say "wait I want her to come home because now nobody is cooking/cleaning/running errands" will my friend's parents be in legal trouble? Also, when I leave for college, I'll be 17. Will my parents still have legal rights over me? If my parents decide to throw a temper tantrum will they legally be allowed to pull me out of school (assuming that they aren't contributing to the cost)?

Thanks

[ccsmod3]

Re: 16 & want to G*** away from my crazy parents as easily and legally as possible

Hello,
We’re glad you felt comfortable reaching out to us at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like you are dealing with a difficult situation between you and your parents. We’re sorry to hear your mom has threatened to kill you and that CPS has not been helpful. It sounds like everything you’re dealing with at home has taken a toll on your stress load. We aren’t legal experts here; however, we can talk about things in general. You raised a few questions regarding college in particular starting college at 17. In most cases, you are still considered a minor unless you have been legally emancipated. How much cooperation in terms of financial aid might depend on the scholarship program; however, you might still find your parents need to sign off on certain things until you turn 18. Talking to an academic as well as a financial aid advisor at your chosen college should clear up any questions you have about your age.

It sounds like you are planning on either getting a full ride or supplementing the cost with your savings. Still, the FAFSA (The Free Application for Federal Student Aid) does have a section on their website regarding dependency if you do find yourself needing to apply for student loans. More information can be found here: http://www.fafsa.com/understanding-f...fsa-dependency. As far as whether your parents can legally pull you out of school, that might be a matter of the police. In that case you should be able to get an answer if you call your non-emergency police. If you are uncomfortable doing so on your own, you could always reach out to us first and we could offer to do a conference call. Hopefully that gives you a start and best of luck!