Hello All , I apologize if this is in the wrong section or not appropriate for this board. I’m not sure where else to go and I really trust you guys so I hope I’m not imposing on your hospitality. I am new to posting here so please be patient if I break any protocol out of ignorance. The posters here seem incredibly well-informed and I can truly use your help should you be kind enough to offer it.

Quick intro for context; I am 32 years old and hold a GED. I did very well on the GED but had a very low high school GPA before I was kicked out in 11th grade. I have worked many jobs and received my Commercial Pilots License but lost my “medical privileges” and am not allowed to fly because I got arrested for DUI. I displayed terrible judgement by driving my car while intoxicated and absolutely deserved to lose my career/dream job but life goes on and I need to keep fighting.

I have no other advanced skills , so I need to start my journey over . I am going into this blind , which brings me to my appeal for help.

I would like to go to college but cannot afford costly tuition but I would like to try and receive a full or partial scholarship and subsidize it with a loan. I feel that I still have a lot to contribute and If given that chance I believe I can still build a successful career .

I would truly appreciate advise on how I should proceed from here (please let me know if any additional info would be helpful).

To this end I have recently started studying for my ACT (incidentally I have just received my real estate license) and believe that I can do well if I continue to work hard.

My questions are many but to be somewhat specific; will doing well on the ACT improve my chances for a scholarship?
Are there other tests/activities or anything at all I can do in order improve my chances to obtain a scholarship?

I would like to go somewhere in the STEM field , just something engaging as I have already lost my ideal position as a pilot but I am very flexible ; I just want a stable and engaging job.

I apologize for the vague nature of this post but that is a reflection of how lost I feel. I know I have to keep moving forward and currently work at a warehouse but really want to better myself.

Can someone with college and/or life and/or career experience please advise me as to the steps they would take from my position in order to raise their value as a skilled/educated worker? Are there other tests I should consider? Are there other things I need to be doing in order to improve my chances of financial aid and academic success?

Any advice , general or specific would be truly appreciated. I am trying to stay positive but losing my dream has been tough. Still Im ready to get back up off the ground and keep fighting , please help me do this in an effective way. If I knew , what I know now about aviation education I could have saved thousands and gotten a higher quality education. That being the case I am certain that Ill make the same mistakes if some generous soul does not help guide me.

Please help me and let me know if I need to clarify anything as I can see that I am asking a very large question. Either way, thank you for reading this and I hope your careers , life etc are working out better than mine currently is.

• This topic was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by Robert Singh.