Based on your father’s reactions, (plopping down 9K a year for private school and being indifferent to your requests for financial aid), it sounds like your family wouldn’t qualify for “grant” financial aid assistance like your friend. (This is my humble opinion based on experience and I most certainly could be wrong). Try a different approach – research financial aid options with your high school counselor – including gathering all necessary applications and present them in a giant stack with required attachments to your father. When he mumbles something about not being worth his time, present him with a simple one page application for a car loan from his bank. Also ask him to take you to an interview to get a part time job. Your initiative and resourcefulness might get his attention.