Hurricane Harvey Survivor Student Needs Help Paying for School

Hello everyone,

I am a student enrolled at Rasmussen College School of Design, and I need to raise funds to help me pay for my continued education. I found out only 3 days before this Spring semester started that my financial aid ran out. I am a student with disabilities, a Hurricane Harvey survivor, a thyroid cancer survivor, lost my father just a year ago, suffered a miscarriage during this past holiday season which was my 1st holiday season without my father, lost my disability case after my 3rd appeal, and am an openly bisexual female. My family has absolutely nothing to do with since I have come out publicly. They have not and will not assist me in any way, not even with a place to stay while I have been fighting to win my Disability case these last 2 1/2 years.

I have been diagnosed with literally 25 different medical conditions, have zero income, but chose to pursue my education despite all of this. I am now in my 2nd year with Rasmussen College, and I am working very hard to graduate and receive my Associate of Science degree. My degree program combines 4 different degrees into one: Graphic Design, Web Design, Web Programming, and Front-End Development. I have plans to continue my education and obtain my Bachelor's Degree once I graduate, but I don't have the means to pay for education at this time, as I am still pursuing my Disability claim even after being denied a 3rd time.

I do not want to have to quit school because I have worked so hard to keep going, even with everything that has happened to me over these last 2 years. I have to come up with the funds to pay for this semester's balance, otherwise I won't be able to continue on to the Summer quarter which starts at the beginning of July. I also have to raise funds to pay for the upcoming Summer, Fall, and Winter quarters; and so far the school has quoted the total amount of $4500 to cover the tuition for each quarter, including the current semester I am enrolled in now, Spring quarter.

My plan is to one day own my own Graphic & Web Design Company, along with launching my own Film & Media Company. However, I won't be able to get to this point if I have to end my education pursuit due to lack of funds to pay for it. I had no idea my financial aid was going to run out, and unfortunately, the financial aid department at my school did not give me any sort of warning that is was going to run out this semester.

I have been and continue to get shunned by my relatives because of my sexuality, and my entire family is very religious so they feel the way they are treating me is the right thing to do. I have been judged very harshly and treated as an outcast because I had an open relationship with a woman 2 years ago who I am no longer with. I am attracted to both women and men, and I see nothing wrong with that. I am in desperate need of help to continue my education, it is all I have left to be proud of and look forward to. My father passed away last April on the 11th, and he is the reason I enrolled in this program as he was a techie also, and he loved me for me. I promised myself that I would not give up on pursuing my degree after he passed away. I want this degree more than anything, to make myself and my father proud. I hope to one day be working for a major corporation like Google or Paramount pictures, in addition to launching my own business brands. Despite all I have lost, I know there is much to gain by obtaining this degree and continuing on to get my Bachelor's degree. Please help me so I don't have to quit school for lack of funds to cover the tuition and fees.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, your help is much appreciated.