I think it's wrong to judge the mother, we don't know all the facts. It could be her mom is just a terrible person attempting to try and keep her from accomplishing her goals for some selfish reason, but it could also be that the mother has a good reason we're not privy too. For example maybe this teen is really bright and had some opportunity she declined or failed to pursue because she thought to take the easier, softer, faster route and just borrow from the feds which as an American citizen is her god given right entitlement don't you know.
Perhaps her mother feels she could have avoided taking on debt altogether had her daughter only applied for more merit based awards, considered some of the other many debt free option ways to finance and pursue her education. Or maybe it's not even about money... Maybe her mother has other unselfish reasons for making the decision she has point is we just can't know and without all the facts I don't think the best thing we can be doing here to help is to pity the supposed victim†and continue to bash the mother, make wide sweeping judgements, assumptions about her character.
Bottom line as long as the teen is a minor her mother is well within her rights to decide whether she can or cannot attend college, can or cannot drive a car, should or should not take on a sizeable amount of debt for any purpose reason whatsoever, and so on and so forth. What's more even after she is 18 years old so long as she continues to live under her parent's roof they have the right to forbid her to do anything they believe for whatever reason is not in her best interests and for all we know there very well may be some valid reasons why he mother does not at this point believe what her daughter is attempting/planning for herself is in her best interests.
What if this teen comes from a very religious home and could attend a religious college at no cost to her, entirely at her parent's expense but wants to go to a liberal school where values the parents do not approve of, agree with will certainly be flouted – should they be forced to pay for their child's little foray into hedonism? Should they be obligated to provide their financial information so she can use it to make what they believe is a poor choice, even immoral decision? Currently the law says students must provide their parents information when they apply for financial aid, however I'm not aware of any laws that make it illegal for parents to refuse to provide it.
As for whether or not to pursue a CNA or LPN, while I don't think it would be wise as a stopping point there is no reason why a person who is worried about money shouldn't attempt to achieve those certifications along the way as they work their way towards becoming an RN. In fact more and more nursing schools are refusing to admit students into nursing programs either LPN or RN who don't have at least some experience working as a n aide or at least volunteering in some type of healthcare setting in some capacity.
Many LPN programs that do admit students without such experience have a component where first quarter LPN students learn all they know to get their CNA and many LPN students work as aides on weekends and holidays while pursuing their LPN. Most RN programs in this country teach students all they need to know to get their LPN after the first year of the RN program. Many schools offer LPN to RN bridge programs. It is easier to pursue an RN if you don't have to work but if you have to work it can be done.
While it's true an LPN is not going to give a person the same options as an RN it's still a lot better to be a new LPN capable of earning in 16-20 dollar an hour range working in a nursing home, correctional facility, or VA on weekends and holidays while pursuing an RN than slaving away at some at some McJob at minimum wage, for nine dollars and some odd cents an hour. No one is suggesting she shouldn't pursue an RN. However if money is an issue it is entirely possible for a young person to go to school and become an LPN entirely free and then use that as a stepping stone to get there. People are just pointing out that there are options and if you really want to attend college taking out loans is only one of many, many, ways to get there.
If this teen really has it all that bad she could right now leave and go to Job Corp. Or she'll be 18 shortly she can join the delayed enlistment program enter any branch of the military she wants to right now and they will accept her into the service guaranteed contingent upon her finishing high school. If she's smart and does well on her ASVAB she can be a hospital corpsman and get both an A and a C school guaranteed to her in writing upfront before she even ships off for basic with a six year enlistment if she goes Navy. Or she could apply for a National Health Service scholarship if she's truly an exceptional student her grades are high. For every year they pay for her books and tuition she would have to agree to serve a year working in an underprivileged area but she could graduate with a four year degree and owe little to nothing. There are a lot of options and that's all people are trying to say – she has options.
