My stepson has a friend he used to go to high school with who has had a rough time. His parents kicked him out of the house in his senior year of HS, and he has been struggling ever since. He went to college for one year at Harding-Simmons and then it became too expensive.
His parents were supporting him a little bit for awhile-- paying for his car insurance-- but their relationship has taken a turn for the worse, and now this young man is completely cut off from his family and their resources. He used to work in retail and live out of his car, but is now jobless and homeless. He would like to go back to college, but has no idea how to afford it. His parents will not fill out the FAFSA.
Is any kind of education a possibility for him-- 2 year, 4 year, trade/apprenticeship? I would love to be able to point him to some resources in Dallas, or help him apply to a college that would cover almost all his expenses. I would personally pay for him to go somewhere else in the country if he could get an education there.
Joining the military will provide him with structure, a “family” of sorts in that they have a strong brotherhood, specialized training if he chooses, and the material comforts/needs. He also gets the pride of serving his country. Are there trade-offs? Of course. But I am surprised this option is so rarely discussed on these boards for kids who can’t afford school or in this case, don’t even have a roof over their heads.
As I was reading the initial post, I was also thinking about the military. I was in the Air Force for four years, and saw lots of people enlisting as a way to break out of bad environments and start new lives. It’s a great option for some… Of course, it’s not for everybody. If the kid got kicked out of the house because he has issues with authority, or he did something criminal, that may rule out the military.