<p>Even if a parent does not pay, they can still support you in other ways. For example, if they are willing to let you stay at home and attend college full-time as a commuter (without paying them rent) then that would save you room and board fees which could be over $10,000 depending on how much your college gouges the people who live in the dorms. </p>
<p>Additionally, even if they only help you by completing the CSS Profile and the FAFSA can be a huge help; many students who post here have parents who won’t even do that much for whatever reason, which leaves them in the lurch in terms of even qualifying for an unsubsidized Stafford loan.</p>
<p>But no, you can’t compel your parents to pay for college. There’s a lot of noise out there about that one case where a girl sued her parents to pay for college but the facts and circumstances of that case are rather specific and it’s not something I would really concern myself with. (The case is also still in litigation so no one has any idea how it will turn out).</p>