know how you feel ... took me 4 years to get independent status (which was like passing an act in congress... proving my parents didn't pay for shit even though they waged war on who got to claim me on taxes... lol. divorces rule!) before I finally got more money and some pell grants (last semester of college... thanks) since at the time I made about 15K/year waiting tables.
hang in there big guy. the market can change everything ... believe that.