I think I might want to pursue someday going to college, but I never had a guidance counselor or anything so I don’t know where to start. Ideas?
Also, I have tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid medical bills. That will go against me if I try to get loans or grants, won’t it?
I almost doubt those unpaid bills would stop you from getting a stafford loan, I donno for sure.
Its just like buying a computer- What do you want it for? Do you want to go back so you can get a better job? What subjects interest you?
Go to a few university web sites and look at the catalogs. See what classes may interest you.
Going to college is always a good idea, more education can never hurt you.
Could you relocate? Would you be looking at a 4-year degree or just taking a few classes here and there?
Cran, if you could tell us why you wanted to go to college, what you might like to study, what your geographic limitations are and so forth, it would be a lot easier to help.
As far as your unpaid bills go, were you the responsible party for paying them (if you were under 18 when they were incurred, you probably were not)? Have they gone into collections? That would hurt your ability to get some loans, but wouldn’t rule out grants or other financial aid.
A good bet would be to go to the admissions office of whatever college is nearest to where you are right now. Even if you don’t ever intend to go there, the application process and financial aid applications are going to be similar at most places.
College is probably a really good idea for you. I’m sure you’d get a lot out of it. I wish you the best of luck.
If you just think that the idea of going to college is a good one, then go to a public state university. They are big enough that you can really find what interests you, and then, if you feel like it you can move to a more focused college. Plus, the state universities are going to be the cheapest you can find, other then community colleges. Not that I’m against community colleges persay, but I think that a university would be much better.
As for money, do you support yourself? If so, or if your family is below a certain income mark you qualify for a Perkins loan. These things kick ass. No payments untill you’re out of school, very low interest rate, and interest does not accululate until you actually start your payments.
Seth
I’ll have to re-locate, but I have several medical problems that need to be resolved before I could go to school even part time. I’m mental and unable to function properly without my meds, which I also can’t afford.
My medical bills were all incurred after I turned 18. Up until that point I had insurance, off and on.
I want to do something with animals or political activism or art or music…there are lots of things I’m interested in.
Money is my major issue, because I had high scores in school until I was abused by a teacher and started a downward cycle.
Is collections when they send you bills all the time? They’ve been doing that for a while now. I just ignore them because there’s no way I can pay them.
I already owe a lot of money and owing more just makes my head spin, but I really would like to go to school. Even if I went 2 years at a community college, my total bills would probably be over $100,000. And I’m 19. 
With your financial woes, here’s what I’d reccomend. Find a job at a college or University, and work full time. Not only will you be making money to support yourself, but most major U’s and colleges offer free classes to their full-time employees. Granted, then you’d be working full-time and going to school part-time so not much time for a social life, but it’s an option.
Seth
The unpaid medical bills will hurt if you try to get a private loan, but may not if you are getting a government loan. Most colleges have counselors you can talk to.
Having a college education is highly beneficial. It opens the door a little wider in some cases, and in others, opens doors that otherwise would have been closed completely.
I think the type of college you go to matters a lot less that what many folks think. I see a lot of job offers that require a degree, but I’ve never seen one that required it be from a specific class of college. Around here, the community colleges are fairly well thought of, and having a degree from one would not be looked down on. Also consider that many community colleges have affiliations with the state universities, and will let you transfer your credits 100%.
More than once, I’ve wished I had a degree. Unfortunately for me, I cannot deal with traditional teaching methods. I learn too quickly, then get bored and lose interest entirely. (Extreme ADD) Fortunately for me, it’s not a major handicap in my field, I just have to work a bit harder. It practically eliminates most chances of my getting an upper management position, however.
One other thing to consider. It is much easier if you have a firm goal in mind. It keeps you focused, and gives you something to strive for. It also increases the chance of finding good employment when you finish. I’ve got a couple of friends who got degrees, but had no end goal in mind. Now they’ve got degrees in overly-general subjects like English, and very few job prospects.
Do medical bills get wiped out if you declare bankruptcy? I know student loans do not, but maybe this is an option? From everything I hear, its not that big of a deal. And once you do it, you cannot declare bankruptcy again for 7 years, so you can actually still get a loan if you need one, or credit card.
You might also enjoy psychology, and with it you can go into social work if interested.
How do you feel about crime? If you’ll commit a serious crime, be convicted, and sentenced to serve time in federal prison you can pursue your degree, receive free medical care, make new creative friends, etc. There are some fantastic artists in the system. The bill collectors will stop calling. You may have to plead guilty and refuse all offers to plea bargain to stay in long enough to complete your undergraduate degree. Bear in mind that white collar crime isn’t considered too serious, so if you later decide on a master’s degree you may have to become a repeat offender. Getting into the system is the key, because once you’re in they’ll provide you with options and schemes you could never have imagined as a law-abiding citizen. Also, evidence has shown that the longer you stay in the pen., and the more education you attain, you’ll find yourself wanting to practice law. So really what I’m saying is: If your not serious about becoming a lawyer - stay out of prison. 
Cran, once you have decided where you wish to go and have been accepted into a school, go to http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ and you can apply free of charge for federal grants and loans. There’s no guarantee you’ll get all you need, but you’re bound to get SOMETHING. Best of luck to you.
U2 - I seriously hope you’re joking. First off, you cannot be a lawyer if you’ve been convicted of a felony, nevermind the rest that criminal record entails…
Cran, stay out of jail, for the love of pete. :roll:
Uh, yeah, I was. I seriously hope you were too.
And you CAN attain a law degree with a felony conviction. Practicing is a different matter.
A community college won’t satisfy you.
The state university idea makes sense.
Yes, you will probably be able to get
student loans. Go for a liberal arts degree
unless you have an interest in math or
science. Decide what you want to
study seriously a year or so in.
You will probably do very well and enjoy
yourself, being more clever and articulate
than most undergrads.
You have, at this point, everything it takes
to work all this out. Just use it. Good luck!
What is liberal arts?
Liberal arts includes many subjects- math, sciences, social sciences, language, etc. that are of general concern to society.
So any liberal arts college should cover these, and the nice thing about them is you can take several different classes to see what you like, then focus on the one you like best.
Most universities have a college of Arts and Sciences (sometimes
called a college of Liberal Arts). This includes the humanities, the social
sciences, and the hard sciences (physics, chemistry, biology)
and math. Excluded is engineering, business, and education,
which are in separate colleges.
The humanites include philosophy, English, foreign languages,
history.
The social sciences include sociology, anthropology, geography,
political science and sometimes economics.
I suspect, but don’t know, that you would most enjoy
the humanities and the social sciences.
There need be no great hurry in making your way
through university, you don’t need to decide right
away what your major will be. And you can
anticipate doing very well in subjects
that involve writing and thinking. There will
be, especially at a state university, a large
number of bright young people of all
shapes, colors, and inclinations,
and you will have
no problem finding friends. Best
Remember when searching for scholarship and grant money that there are things you’d never think would help you that might. In your case, Cran, check some of the links from this source:
http://www.washburn.edu/sobu/broach/glbt-scholar.html
I haven’t come across any tin whistle scholarships, but it never hurts to put your musical interests and abilities on an application. Think about other things you might search under - West Virginia residents, rural students, well, you know better than me the things that are unique about you. Scout around and see what you come up with.
I do not want to go to school in West Virginia. I’d rather eat my lungs.
I can recommend the state university system in Maine, very good liberal arts colleges, and reasonable tuition.
GOTO: www.maine.edu/
Georgia’s schools are relatively cheap, the public ones anyhow. If you end up at UGA, we can go throw rocks at a dumpster together on the weekends. 
We would rather you eat your lungs too.
And we probably could come up with a tasty dessert for you to boot.