@ucbalumnus the question included a caveat “for reasons I don’t want to go into, staying home for a while and trying again next year or attending community college aren’t options.”
I personally cannot fathom why community college is not an option–there are CCs that give F1 visas if that is the issue. I also cannot understand what circumstances would prevent someone from, you know, getting a job and moving in with several roommates.
Nonetheless, the student’s self-limitation here is why those aren’t listed as options.