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^This.</p>
<p>The nagging is because they care about you and are concerned about you having a successful future (one not burdened by debt), but if you’ve enough restraint not to give into them, then go about your business and apply to colleges. If they care about your happiness they will realize what you want and should support that as time comes to pass.</p>
<p>If it seems impossible to focus on college applications because of their wishful thinking that you’ll eventually turn and enlist, then threaten them with moving out to live with another relative, if you have reasonable relatives close by.</p>
<p>In the end, what parents like yours need is a dramatic approach to realize what they’re doing to you or saying to you isn’t helping you do what you want to do. It may upset them, or even break their heart, initially, but in time they will see the direction you’re taking for yourself and the happiness it brings you and will be happy as well.</p>
<p>The only other suggestion I can give is to investigate school finances more to come up with some good arguments/points that will show them the other side of the coin - that it may be possible for you to attend college with little or no debt due to the financial resources provided to students out there (i.e. merit scholarships, need-based aid awards, work study, part-time work, etc).</p>
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The only caveat I’ll give to this is that you will definitely need to look into this if she means merit-based awards/scholarships. You will need to meet certain academic thresholds to qualify for those, and some may not be renewable for all the years that you attend college. You can also find out if you qualify for need-based awards if you come from a very low-income family.</p>