I would say you would be hard-pressed to live in a state with worse social services than Texas which is run by insane the most right-wing Trumpie Republicans, and even here social services are accessible if you work hard enough. Cost of living is much lower than places like California and the Northeast especially if you live on the outskirts of large cities (and even then, I live 20 miles or so from Houston, granted it is chemical plant heaven with lax regulations, but still housing is much more affordable).

The other factor you have to consider is that if your age is beyond your mid-20s it is very hard to get a job if you do not have a work history. Employers are not supposed to discriminate based on age, but the fact is that they do. They often want a fresh college graduate (preferably with some experience interning at the university or another business while taking classes). They can pay fresh graduates less because they are not tied down by family and often don't have a mortgage to pay. Just reality.

You also have to face the fact that if community college was too much for you, the stress of a high-paying job will be too much for you. Employers will look at a GED and feel high school was too much for you. Even a lower paying job. For example when my H was a high school teacher (which definitely does not pay much), he was extremely stressed. Now that he is a college professor, he has even more stress with trying to navigate the politics of the university. For a high paying job, you will likely have to work at a large business, and you will be hard-pressed not to find cutthroat co-workers & politics there and stress plays a big number on mental health. And for such a salary, it would be extremely hard to find a remote high paying part-time job. Also, employers will be leery of hiring on an online degree from an international school they have never heard of, endorsed by a state university or not. In addition, I have seen you struggle not that long ago on this forum which does mean you are not in the best place emotionally to take all of this on.

Taking all this in account and with your current income, I'd hate to see you go into debt getting a degree that you cannot use. If you cannot pay for your education WITHOUT taking ANY sort of student loan and going into debt, then go for it. If an education is going to put you into debt and stress you out affecting your mental health (which deadlines ARE very stressful) I very much doubt it is worth it. And do NOT count on scholarships. They are very subjective and rely heavily on your grades (which you cannot know your grades in advance of taking the classes) and other factors such as the difficulty of the program you are in, not just low income & disability.

It's just that no one here wants to see you lose your SSI (I think that is the right term), housing situation, and medical services. We don't want you to struggle emotionally and end up in the psych hospital. No one wants to see you go into debt over an education and not be able to find work. We are taking your best interests at heart, believe it or not.

I am in a better situation than you are, and I have to say I would NOT be able to complete an online education or work a job, even a low paying job. I don't even know if I could volunteer anywhere. Believe it or not, I am very smart. I graduated valedictorian of my high school class. I got only 1 B at a very, VERY good, strong & extremely LARGE prestigous university and all A's otherwise in Microbiology (a major a lot of pre-med students took) and graduated summa cum laude (which means "with highest honors" ) from a well-known traditional 4 year university. I very easily would have gotten into med or vet school which are both VERY hard to get accepted to. I have an M.S. (Master of Science) degree in Cell & Molecular Biology. Every time I have tried to work, I end up quitting within a month and nearly hospitalized, and I don't want that for you. There are limitations to having bipolar and depending on severity, it is very hard but you have to accept them.