Educational Savings for Your Kids

I am an only child(immigrated from China, place of one child per family laws), and am currently in college very close to home (25 to 30 min drive).

For freshman year, I am living in the dorms, and coming home most weekends for laundry(I wash all our laundry), relaxation, and a good place to do work. Besides laundry, I often cook a few meals-especially during breaks, and try to help with yard work. For the next three years, I plan to change to commuting, to save money on dorm expenses and allow myself to have a car and be able to hold an off campus job.

I made a 4.00 last semester, and won’t be expecting any less of myself this semester. I am a double major in Business Administration and Philosophy.

As for finances, I hold just a President’s scholarship. 21k, 4 years. This is for a private university. My question is: how much should I be expected to contribute to my own education? Also, how soon should I be expected to move out? I ask this because another option for graduate school is pursuing a 5th year at my university to complete my undergraduate and mba degrees. And also because the social norm has always been independence/going to a school far away straight at age 18, after high school. Because their home is very close to the university, my parents do not see an apartment as practical, and would rather me pay rent to them if I insist on moving out.

Thank you to anyone who responds.
My parents have never been open about their finances to me…sadly…all I know is that they have invested a portion in stocks, and have some retirement money saved(not nearly enough, I worry).

My kind of lifestyle is spending money something like once every couple of months, been to the movies once this year, only shop when clothes shrink(I’m tall), and generally the kind of thing mentioned as the “stone age” lifestyle. What are hoopdies, btw?