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I'm done for. I said some things to my abusive manipulative father and he finally snapped. He's not paying for anything for me anymore. The only reason I still talked to him was because he was paying everything for me.

Here's my situation now:

  1. I'm a college student and now I have to figure out how to pay my tuition.
  2. I'm in 2 part time jobs (but both of them I work less than 10 hours a week, so it's not sustainable to pay bills like rent and food etc.)
  3. I have to pay for all my insurances now like health insurance. I don't even know where to look to get health insurance.

Holy crud am I going to be homeless? What can I do? I have about a month before doomsday and I am freaked out right now spamming this on any forum I know of, reddit, stack exchange etc. Thank you your time, I really appreciate any help I can get.

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    This question may get closed as being off-topic for this site. I don't have any good advice, but my first thought is to reach out to whatever student aid or assistance program your college has (if any), or to talk to a faculty member you trust (if there is one).
    – Tanner Swett
    Jul 9, 2021 at 0:46
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    Not really suited here, but FWIW (having been in a similar situation), if you can't get grants or loans, your only real option may be to drop out and get a full-time job. Work a year or two (or however long it takes), and save money. You might also be able to take an evening course or two, so you'd still be making progress towards a degree. And if you're in reasonably good physical condition, you could look at enlisting in the military.
    – jamesqf
    Jul 9, 2021 at 5:15
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    @user253751: "known for being extremely unfair"? But it's tagged "United States", so we must be using a different definition of fairness. E.g. you can easily drop out of college or postpone it for a decade, then go back later. (As in fact I did.) From my understanding of the European university system, this is difficult if not impossible. You're basically stuck on a track from elementary school onwards.
    – jamesqf
    Jul 9, 2021 at 16:21
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    @user253751 in the US, if you're #1 unmarried, #2 have no children, and #3 are intelligent/well-educated to rationally be in college (as opposed to going because that's what you're told to do), then remaining poor is all on your shoulders.
    – RonJohn
    Jul 9, 2021 at 16:46
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    @RonJohn Well, here we see someone struggling to get enough money to pay for college. What does it matter whether they're intelligent enough to go to college, if they can't?
    – user253751
    Jul 9, 2021 at 17:14

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A roundup of ideas, some from the comments section, some from the web, for a college student who is financially cut off:

  • Become financially independent as soon as possible, by working full-time. If you are good with numbers and detail-oriented, and if you have a clean record, community banks and credit unions still hire people without college degrees. Try Indeed.com to look for a full-time job. "Some college" is one of the most common categories for an average job applicant in the U.S. Even if it is unheard of in your family, there is nothing unusual about entering the workforce, short of a degree. Resource

  • Radically reduce your expenses: Take more roommates to split the bills. Ask your roommates if you can pay reduced rent, in exchange for cooking and cleaning for them. Take the semester off from your college, while you get your bearings financially. Consider enrolling in a nearby community college, while you are taking a break from your college. Reddit resource

  • Go to your college's financial aid office and let them know that you have been cut off. You're not the first to be cut off, so they should have some short-term help for you. Ask about establishing yourself as an independent student, though if you are cut off after age 18, likely you will not qualify as independent for student loan purposes. Short-term help from the financial aid office is great, but be wary of their long-term help if it involves loans. Financial aid offices will tell you that it is normal to take lots of loans, but that doesn't mean it is wise, especially for someone with a precarious home situation. Reddit resource to scare you away from student loans

  • Health insurance: At the start of every month, call the customer service number on your card to see if you have been dropped from your father's insurance policy. Say "I'm a dependent on this policy. Am I still on the policy?" If the answer is ever 'no', then you should ask them to send you a cancellation of coverage notice to your current address/email. At that point, you can go to your State's health insurance website to shop for new insurance (which should be free or subsidized). Resource

  • Move to a high-paying geographical area to find work: Although it may be counterintuitive, it can make sense for a young person to move to an expensive area such as Silicon Valley, the Beltway, or the Tri-State Area. Entry-level salaries are higher in these areas than in low-cost areas, opportunities more plentiful and career advancement faster. At the same time, living with roommates and being frugal will limit the negative impact of these areas' higher cost of living.

  • Enlist in the military, but only if you have the desire to serve. (Making it through basic training is highly stressful). (You can't quit the military when you feel like it, only when they let you). Depending on the number of college credits you have, you could be eligible for a higher rank upon enlistment. Hit the library and study for the ASVAB. The five armed forces that recruit are: Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard. After serving your initial enlistment of 3-4 years (not including training for your role), you would be eligible for free college through the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Reddit resource

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    And some branches of the military (USAF is what I know best) will pay for college while you're enlisted.
    – RonJohn
    Jul 9, 2021 at 16:50
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    Depending on your college, health insurance may be available through the college.
    – BrenBarn
    Jul 12, 2021 at 19:02

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