Ideally I would be going after my bachelor's degree but I simply cannot afford it even with financial aid or grants. I'm 22 and a "dependent" on my father who lives on his retirement only and he struggles just to pay the bills every month.
You have to be 24 and living away from parents to be offered anymore financial aid (that or have a baby, no thank you).
An associates degree in allied health sciences (my preferred field) costs $7,000 total, financial aid might cut that number down by a couple thousand but its still more money than I have just laying around. I drive a 1999 volkswagen that is on it's last leg, so even if I had that kind of money I'd use it to buy a more reliable car that doesn't need a trip to the repair shop every 6 months.
A bachelor's degree is out of the question right now because its something like over $30,000. Are you kidding me? That's a down payment on a house!

I'm 22 and I'm a high school graduate. I live in California, unfortunately (thanks taxes and obscene cost of daily living).
I want to go to college but I can't even afford to help my dad out most months. I have a job but it's basically slightly higher than min. wage and as an independent contractor I get torn apart by yearly taxes way more than the average employee.
This job was a god-send, but its not a secure job and I fear losing it constantly. Then what? I'd have to go work at walmart or mcdonalds for 8 dollars an hour, never affording to leave my dad's house? Is this the future I have to look forward to? I don't understand what I'm supposed to do.
I guess just keep working this job, hope for the best, save up as much as humanely possible and go to community college for an associates degree that I can't afford? Then hope to land a job with minimal experience in this economy where every employer either wants a bachelor's degree or 2-5 years experience in their field? What?
I don't understand how other people are doing it.
I have tons of friends in the military right now just because they knew they couldn't get a civilian job or pay for college.
I have another friend who just got lucky and had his step-dad pay for his master's degree in full!
Then you have other people who are willingly taking out loans for upwards of $30k or more easily per year, and once they graduate their either have a job or not but they still have to pay $300 a month or more in loan fees.

I thought the answer was technical colleges, so my mom and dad scraped up their last penny and paid for a phlebotomy course that cost at least $3,000. I graduated about 6 months later with a certificate and I was unable to find a job without 2 years of paid phlebotomy experience. I learned the hard way that many technical colleges churn out students in hoards and there aren't enough jobs for the amount of graduates in a very specific skilled field.

I did the math and I need a job that pays at least $13-$15 dollars an hour to live on my own and move out of my parent's house. Minimum wage is $8 and I have very little work experience, my resume is mostly filled up with volunteer positions not paid ones.
My plan right now is to keep the job I have now which is based purely on commission sales, no real safety net, and save up enough to either afford college, a new car, or even a down payment on a cheap house - whichever comes first or whichever becomes the most important in the near future.

I'm at a loss right now with my options. I guess I'll be looking at a long career of sales, clerical secretary work, admin jobs, low paying office jobs, or other easy entry level jobs until I can get my foot in the door with college - if that ever happens.