Can parents keep me from attending university?

First, I am not a lawyer and I would recommend that you consult a free or low cost legal service in Michigan to obtain professional counseling for your question and/or have a heart-to-heart with your parents. The agencies and phone numbers to contact in Michigan would be:

1.) Legal Aid and Defender Association in Wayne County (877) 964-4700.

2.) Common Ground* in Bloomfield Hills, whose services are not restricted by County. Call (248) 456-0909 or toll free at (800) 231-1127 for more information.

3.) The Macomb County Bar Association Legal Referral Services provides a referral to a lawyer. Call (586) 468-8300.

Under Michigan law you are still a minor and must undergo a process of emancipation. Here is how emancipation works in Michigan:

“Criteria for emancipation include:

*Demonstrated ability to support self (must provide proof of support)

*Ability to accept/handle adult responsibilities, i.e., sign legally-binding contracts

*A required written affidavit from a professional person (teacher, nurse, minister, counselor, probation officer, etc. ) attesting to youth’s ability to act in a mature manner.

*Providing a birth certificate”

(http://www.misd.net/connection/legal.htm)

Before beginning this process it might be best for you to sit down and talk to your parents about all your options. They may have ideas that you may not have considered such as going to community college for two years in order to defray costs and then applying to a four year university. If your parents are paying for your university then you may not have a say in where you go to school. However, you may transfer after a few years after you settle in to your studies. Make sure that you contact the school that you decide to transfer to in Canada to see if they accept your school’s credits.

Your financial aid forms and, especially, your Federal Assistance for Student Aid (FAFSA) will certainly rely on your parents income to determine financial need if you plan on receiving Pell Grant money, loans, or state financial assistance. So, your parents do have the upper hand in this situation and you may need to rely on them for a few more years; be patient! By the way, Happy Birthday to you and congratulations on graduating early!!!

As long as you are under 18, your parents word is law. You can move out at 17( in michigan) if you have parental permission or if you’ve been emancipated. I think that one of the requirements for emancipation in Michigan is that the minor’s parents do not object to the emancipation, or if they do object that they are failing to provide the minor with support. If you leave home at 17 without parental permission or being emancipated in some manner (marriage, court order, etc), then your parents can report you to the police as runaway.

So, yes, they could stop you from attending university.

Talk to them, and present your plans, and see why they don’t want you to. If it is for monetary reasons, consider taking a year off and getting a job to help pay for things.

I think you should talk to them and convince them. It’s going to be hard on the first time but dont give up. That’s what I did. My mom wouldnt let me go to the States for college. But I kept convincing her until now I am in the States and is going to college here. And I come from Indonesia. Parents have the rights to say no even if you are 18, but convince them that this is for your good. Isn’t Michigan not too far away from Canada? Good luck.

Until you turn 18 or you become and emancipated minor they can stop you from starting university.

As long as you’re a minor and you’re not emancipated then technically…yes. However, you need to talk to them and let them know that it’s what you think will be best for you and they need to stop being so overprotective.

They can’t actually force you to stay home. If they are the ones paying for university however, your choices will be limited to what they say.

If you depend on them for money, yes.

You can: get emancipated by a judge & then do what you want, try to convince them, or obey them.

They can until you’re 18 unless you want no support.

if they are paying you tuition then yes unless you have a way to pay for it yourself.