I am not certain if the works in the United States, but you could divorce yourself from your parents.
Then their financial standing would no longer affect you, because they would no longer be legally considered your family.
Then their financial standing would no longer affect you, because they would no longer be legally considered your family.
"For MIT, our definition of an independent student is one where there are no parents to rely upon for information (in cases of deceased parents or abuse or neglect). The bar is set pretty high, so we do not generally allow students to be considered independant."
http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/finaid/financial_aid/its...