[protomyth]

"do you go to a community college and live at home with your parents who feed you?" and "since you seem to have brilliant financial management skills that others could benefit from learning"

Those aren't exactly phrases that scream, "I want to learn". They do tend to be read sarcastically and indicate a lack of belief.

The solution for me was to go to a state school with a good program and work with a financial aide officer that knew what grants were available. I took out some loans, but they were minimum and easy to pay back (more because I traded work-study money for a loan). Many institutions have grants with their price only being a thank you letter to the organization giving the grant.

I should also point out, I received no help from my high school counselor on applying for financial aide or scholarships. He even cost me a $2,000 per year scholarship . With that, I would have had no loans or work-study. So, if your high school is not actually a hinderance, there are multiple sources of income they can help you with.