If you live in the USA you are elligable for TAP (tuition Assistance Program) and PELL. They usually award the person enough each semester to pay for books, tuition and so on and there is usually between $400-600 left over depending on the number of classes that you take. You recieve that check of whats left over after the college takes out their fees and things bought in the bookstore on credit against your financial award amount. then you can take that check and cash it and put it towards whatever you want to. you still have time to apply for TAP and PELL for the fall semester coming up in just a few weeks. the colleges financial aid office and the main office can help you do that.

also how about instead of your parents holding your money you open a checking and savings accounts. you can set it up so that a certain amount of your paychecks go into your savings account where that money can accumulate interest for example if you deposit $10.00 and for example if the interest is a dollar a day. at the end of 30 days if you have not taken that money back out of your savings account you will have $40.00 in your account because a dollar a day interest times 30 days is 30 dollars total interest earned. 30 interest plus your 10 already there is 40 dollars.

That way not only will you have the money you need when you need it in your checking account but you will also be saving money by accumulating interest in a savings account.