<p>I'm entering my sophomore year of college, however during my freshman year my parents moved to Georgia from Florida due to the high cost of living. My parents have not helped pay for my college at all, it has all been at my expense using the money I have saved up, the scholarship money I worked hard for, and my stafford loan. At this point I'm just a few thousand in debt. My parents keep telling me to "pull out a loan" to help me get back to Orlando to pay for housing and to go back to school, but it is something I feel should be the last thing I should do. Since high school I've felt that my father and step-mom could care less about my education, but I still love learning and don't let them deter me. I don't qualify for the Pell Grant and can't pull out a loan because my parents have a poor credit rating, but do not know how they managed to purchase the $200k house we are living in.</p>
<p>I will qualify for Georgia in-state tuition and the Hope scholarshop in two months and I think the best course of action at this point would be to take a semester off and apply for college locally to take classes in the spring. Would this be the best idea? What can I do in my semester off? I do want to do something academic but my parents have moved to the middle of nowhere and without a car nor local jobs nearby I'm stuck. Does anyone know of any opportunities that would provide me with housing while possibly giving me experience (I'm a Biology major with plans on being a Science teacher and eventually a doctor)?</p>
<p>Thank you so much for taking the time to read and hope to hear what you have to say to help me out!</p>
<p>In what way are they deterring you? It seems like they can't afford to help you and are telling you to get a loan.... so get a loan. Go where you want, at least they aren't telling you to quit school and help the family. Get a car, get a job. Stop relying on other people and start taking initiative for yourself.</p>
<p>It sounds like a good plan for you. Some people decide to take a break and never go back, but you're clearly motivated to get this done.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I don't have any suggestions for opportunities. I do hope you find one.</p>
<p>I don't know how much money you absolutely need to be making, but even a retail job would help you with the kinds of skills you can use in the classroom: to a great extent teaching involves selling students on the idea that what you're doing is interesting and important.</p>
<p>My mother had to take a year off, since her parents wouldn't help her either. She worked full-time that year and earned enough money to cover the costs that they wouldn't. Good luck to you...you sound like an exceptionally motivated person!</p>
<p>Right now I'm taking a semester off and working for 6 months and then returning to school in the spring as I pay for college by myself too! I'm also going to school in Georgia for the last 3 years and I love it! so I'm excited to go back in the Spring!</p>
<p>If you need a loan you should try and get one! I'm an International student so I can't get a loan!</p>
<p>I don't know the names of these programs, but I know that programs exist (Teach for America and similar) which will help pay your college loans if you agree to work for a number of years as a teacher in an underserved district. That might be another option to help you pay for school, if you want to stay in Florida.</p>