how about some advice?

sry if this is the wrong section, it seemed the best suited to me.

let me begin with, im a 21 year old amputee, i lost my leg due to birth complications (below the knee, right) and ive adapted to it very well, i can skateboard, run jump play soccer, etc. etc. you name it.. i like to consider myself intelligent (who doesnt online nowadays though) but i made a 26 on my ACTs straight out of highschool without studying. and got accepted to the University of Michigan (my 1st choice) but couldnt afford it. and at the time i was 17 and couldnt find any good gov't grants/scholarships to go to school on, out of state ( i live in alabama).
im fascinated my astronomy/astrology, politics, history, and poetry and was trying to decide on a major. id love to do something political, my goal for going to school is more to learn than to have a degree, as long as im doing something i like doing ill be find with middle class wages, but ever since i was little ive always wanted to go to UofM and i was wondering if any of you internet Sherlock Holmes could find any kind of scholarships or grants that pay a full ride that i couldnt find? or if you had any advice for me? what fields and jobs to look towards?

just felt like maybe someone could help me get things on track.
thanks
-bj

A great author stated "Specialization is for insects" Robert A. Heinlein, Time Enough for Love.

Study everything you can using whatever grants you can get your hand on. Try to avoid the Stafford Loans, both subsidized and unsubsidized.

reply to post by bjt1ngle


I'll second that about the loans. Of any kind. I'm up to my eyeballs in school loan debt. I started out getting grants that covered most of my tuition, but my girlfriend at the time told me that if I didn't marry her she'd move out. Well, I married her and suddenly the grants disappeared because I had to put her income on the Fafsa.
Is that your situation? Your parents make too much $ to get any grants? Anyway, my advice would be also to learn as much as you can about whatever interests you. I went to engineering school and now the job I have is not at all interesting. At least the pay's good.

reply to post by wtbengineer


my situation is worse than that IMO, im on disability because i have to have some form of medical insurance, and no companies will pick me up with the pre-existing conditions (i also have kidney problems (all from birth complications)).. anyway that prevents me from working or going to school full time, if i go to school full time, i lose my insurance.
im kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. my parents dont have family insurance, theyre self-employeed and my step-father makes a pretty good living. but for all accounts $ wise, im pretty much on my own.

reply to post by bjt1ngle


So you can't get the grants unless you go full time? I think I got grants before I went full time. If you're on your own money wise it should make it easier to get free money. I wish you luck and I'll try to think of something that may help you.

reply to post by wtbengineer


thanks, ive got the pail grant and have been going to the local community college, but its not really...up to par.. its got a 100% acceptance rate and its pretty much like the bad classes in highschool.

reply to post by bjt1ngle


I have nothing against community college to start out. As long as it is a good community college. That's where I started and some of my favorite professors taught there. I went to community college and had a 4.0 average until I got accepted to my major and then I went to Penn State full time. If you don't have access to a good community college close by then I guess I'd keep trying to get the grants and so forth. How much is a semester at the school you want to go to?

reply to post by bjt1ngle


I wish you the best of luck in your journey and, wish even more that I could give you all of the support in this world to ensure that u accomplish all of your goals and ambitions in life.

God Bless!

reply to post by wtbengineer


about $6k a semester i believe might be more out of state, but i can go to Uof alabama for ~$4k a semester
and our community college is $2k a semester. but its pretty low standard.

reply to post by MagesticEsoteric


thank you : )