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Hello ladies, I am in need of some advice. I am currently in college, but a couple of years ago I was in a really bad depression. I had no motivation to do anything and I often had thoughts of just ending it all. However because of this my grades slipped, and I eventually dropped out, thus lost my scholarship, which I relied on for school. Now I went back to school, got my grades up, but still no scholarship.
I go to community college, which thankfully has lower prices. I used to be able to pay my tuition last semester from my former job, but sadly my family had to move down state for my mom’s new job. I can’t rely on my family to pay for school because 1. I put myself into this situation and I am a grown ass adult, and 2. My parents can’t afford it at all (we are lower middle class and have to rely on food stamps). I tried to do the financial aid form (FASFA), but my dad didn’t correctly fill in the information (he didn’t fill in his assets or how much money he had in savings because “why would they want his information I am insert age here and should do it myself”), and my mom thought she would mess it up since she couldn’t remember essential information.
Since I can’t rely on them I am trying to find a job that can pay for it. However I don’t have a car or know how to drive (got my learners permit recently), so my options are limited. There are a couple of jobs around but pay almost nothing (the highest one being around 12 dollars an hour). I am going to apply for the 12 dollars per 1/hr one since it’s all I got until I get my license to better places (and a car).
However my question is, is what would you all do in this situation? I am really worried if I apply to this job I won’t have enough money for next semester (my parents keep asking when I get my associates and I would get it in the summer if I complete this one more year). I just don’t want to be a failure but my stress levels are through the roof trying to keep everything together.
Call your state representative and ask them how to best navigate your Dad’s mistake, and move forward with the appropriate information. If your parents use SNAP, you are eligible for the full PELL, state grants (if your state offers them), work/study, and a full federal loan (up to 9.5 k) regardless of income or credit score. Your state rep may also know of scholarships that aren’t advertised. This is the type of stuff reps do for their constituents, but is rarely utilized.
Thank you for posting this. I went through almost the exact same thing in high school (thank God I didn't drop out) and now I have a job but I'm looking to the future. I'm also looking to get diagnosed, are you too?
Uhg so sorry you’re in this stressful situation and the fact your dad messed up something so god damn simple. Have you thought of bartending or serving? I knew a good amount of women in college who were making a good amount of money doing that. The ones making the most money were at clubs and bars but also restaurants and anything else are good too. There’s a couple stuff online you could do, are there any skills you could offer on Etsy or fiverr? Also babysitting could be $$$ depending on the area you live in, look at the babysitting groups on Facebook for your hometown and find babysitting websites for your hometown. Also maybe go to your financial office in your college and see if there’s anything they can do to help, maybe there’s some kind of program they let you know about.
Edit: you are NOT a failure. Honestly life can be so fucking hard and mental health takes such a toll on you. The fact you’re still standing right now means you’re not a failure. I don’t care if your parents think you are or anyone else. Girl you’re back in school and fending for yourself - that is more than enough. There’s no timeline in this life, you’re going at your pace and that’s ok.
Can you make extra money with some remote work? Tutoring? Bookkeeping? Reading to kids? Maybe get a job as a nanny so you could live in a better spot? It's also worth going to campus and asking if they might have student jobs available. I remember when I attended university, the student jobs paid really well
Your dad is an asshole for not filling out the fafsa correctly. How old are you? Could you apply for emancipation from your parents in order to get more financial aid?