You DO NOT need to be on Free/Reduced lunch to get fee waivers. In fact, it’s stipulated quite clearly that any kid who had a guardian at any point after age 13 automatically qualifies. This would indeed lead me to believe your GC is not completely up to date.
Bookmark this, print one copy, bring it to your guidance counselor, have her sign it, and copy it as you need.
http://www.nacacnet.org/studentinfo/feewaiver/documents/applicationfeewaiver.pdf
Do you have an option NOT to graduate this year and graduate in 2016, perhaps thanks to your 504?
This would allow you to raise your GPA& test scores, have 3 full semesters (Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015) of good grades showing that your GPA isn’t due to your lack of work ethics or intelligence but due to abuse and trauma, and thus that you’ve got tremendous potential, plus enroll in AVID/Trio/Upward bound (ask about those at your school), and apply to a better set of schools.
Berea College would be a good option to look into.
I agree with you that for a kid who’s grown up in traumatic circumstances, community college may not be the best choice. It may be the only choice depending on where you are academically and financially, but kids with trauma often “fall through the cracks” at CCs; being in a residential environment at a close-knit college is the best recipe for graduating from a 4-year college. The issue is that this is the best environment for your learning but the hardest to get to.
If you choose to go the CC-> 4year route, work right away with a transfer adviser and make sure you have a good support network if your relationship with your boyfriend falters (I know I sound pessimistic, but both of you are changing and growing into adults, so that may happen). Consider the CC your “full time job”, and spend time there in class, in clubs, going to office hours. If you can choose between several CCs, look at their transfer rates to OU.