I have no one else to go to

[RonVera]

I've noticed this site is all about legal issues so I'm not sure if I'll get the kind of advice I was looking for, but it doesn't hurt to ask. Sorry if it's kind of long.

I'm a 21 year old male living in Miami, FL. I've been on my own since I've joined the Marines at 17. I was shortly discharged, and am trying to make a living as a civilian. I have a full time job that pays pretty decent wage, but it's still dificult to make ends meet financially. I want better for myself and I want to go to college. When I went to a near by college to apply for financial aid or to see if I can use the G.I. Bill. They told me that I didn't serve long enough to qualify for the GI bill and that I need my parents earnings for the previous year to apply for financial aid. I told them that I was living on my own but they told me that, I have to be over 23 to claim myself.
I stopped talking to everybody in family for personal reason's so it's kind of hard for me to show up and ask them for their W-2's.
I had finally talked someone into at least checking to see if I can at least get financial aid if I was to some how able to claim myself. They told me I wasn't, that I made enough money on my own and that I'd have to pay for my own studies. Which I found absurd with all the expenses I had already.
What should I do? Where do I go? Who do I go to?
I'm not a very smart guy but I want to go to college so bad. I don't have anyone to go to for advice. I hope someone that reads this could give me a helping hand.
Thanks in advance!

 

[BelizeBreeze]

Start looking into taking classes at the local community college even if you have to do so at night. The fees are much less and you can continue working while amassing the requirements for transfer to a 4-year institution.

By the time you have enough credits you'll be 23 and able to secure a loan to continue without the hassle.

 

[MoneyShot]

I don't know what you do for a living, but many large companies offer educational benefits. These are usually available to all levels of employee, so even if you're working in the mailroom you may be able to take advantage of this as one way to pay for an education.

 

[GaAtty]

While the site is about legal issues, I would bet that 100% of the attorneys answering legal questions went to law school, and therefore are probably very familiar with student loans! Go to www.salliemae.com or any other student loan website and get a FAFSA application. Be sure that on the application you classify yourself as an indenpendent undergraduate student. If you have not been listed as a dependent on your parents' tax returns for at least 2 years then you should be able to qualify. However, you have to take probably at least 6 hours. Until you can take a course load like that, you should save your money and initially start at a community college where you can do one course per semester. Pay for it yourself. After two or three semesters of that, you should be able to qualify for either the government loans, or get private loans, and can then go full time. There is really no need to get a loan this soon if you cannot go full time. Try to go to a state college, the tuition will be less expensive and the courses will almost surely transfer to a 4 year college. You make it sound like you are out of time, but you are only 21. You have the rest of your life to do this.

 

[Snipes5]

Go higher up at the school. Serving in the Armed Forces is one of the "exceptions' on the FAFSA form that allows you to be considered independent. How long did you serve in the Marines? Who told you that you don't qualify for the GI bill, the Marines or someone at the school?

Snipes

 

[Gadfly]

Apply for admission to a community college (miami-dade http://www.mdc.edu/home/ ). Many Community Colleges in Florida are now offering 4-year degrees. Make sure you can get in first. Take a few night classes. One per session will do for a start.

Don't know what your deal was in the service, but maybe you should consider going back in and earning college tuition credits that way.

Don't give up.

Let us know how things work out.

 

[saminalham]

it's tough

It does seem that a low income and high grades should give a person grants, etc. , but that just isn't the case. I made 14,000 and was about 50 bucks over the limit for any grant, and my GPA was 3.75 and again I was not eligible for academic scholarship either. I had to bite the bullet and get loans.