<prompt> Human: Hey guys. Im trying to keep my mind off things and thinking of the next step. I cant believe this is happening and life is bullshit, but anyway I gotta do something. Anyway, I should start. I have no idea whats going on so appreciate the help.Im 18 years old, just graduated high school going to a 30k private school next year for college. I have a sister sophomore who is in a 20k high school, and my mom and dad, living in a 1m house in the silicon valley. I guess we were relatively well off.Shit just hit the fan today when my dad passed away - he was the only person making any significant money on a very high salary enough to pay the mortgage, three cars, send us to school, etc.. Now hes gone and we have no clue at all about what to do. We get some money off life insurance and company insurance but I have no idea.Where do we start? Cost of living is obviously immensely high - my school is in Texas so maybe my mom and sister move out there. But that means screwing up my sisters education to move out. She hasnt been good at making friends so moving here equals social disaster for her.Im so scared for the future. Financially we were sound and my dad had dreams of moving to London, both my parents retiring at 65, I would be able to get internships with the companies my dad had connections with, my sister could go to one of the best high schools in the country. We were pretty comfortable. Maybe Im a stuck-up rich kid. But now it seems like my mom is going to work for the rest of her life and my sisters education will be screwed. I cant let that happen to them because its totally out of their control, but maybe I can do something.Please help me guys, I have no idea what to do. My mom cant afford to send me to college and my sister to that high school. Is it normal to take on 120k in student loans? Maybe I stop going to college and let my sister finish high school while I work? I dont knowThank you. I need as much help as possible  <response>: First off, Im so sorry for your loss. That must be really tough.For you, I would start by calling the financial aid office at your college and setting up an appointment. Go in and explain the situation and they should be able to point you towards lots of options for loans and financial aid.If you dont want to take on that much debt, consider going to a lower cost school for a couple of years and then transferring. Youll still have the degree from your dream school, but for cheaper.Your mom should do the same for your sister. See if theres financial assistance for her school. But honestly, public school is free. Thats your fallback option. Its not a horrible one. I went to public school in the silicon valley.Spend some time with your mom looking at your monthly budget. Perhaps there are ways to cut-back while shes looking for work. Maybe you can get a job. Maybe you can all move somewhere with a lower cost of living and live off your house value for a while.Dont make any drastic decisions right now. Youre grieving and its hard to make good choices in the moment of grief. Just gather information, have those meetings, and make the decisions when the time is right.Best of luck. 