Hello all.
I have an American passport and I have every intention of leaving this country to fend for myself and independently put myself through school abroad by juggling work with school in either the US or UK.
However, I seem to have an accommodation issue for I don't know anyone living in these two countries.
I know a couple of people but I'm not to close enough to them to ask them for such a huge favour. Please, give me advice on what steps you think I should take.

Apply to your schools of choice and apply for Financial Aid as well since you are an American Citizen, you sure would get it. I would suggest you apply to a school in the state you were born or one of the states with which they have agreements so that you can pay in state tuition.

GboyegaD:
Apply to your schools of choice and apply for Financial Aid as well since you are an American Citizen, you sure would get it. I would suggest you apply to a school in the state you were born or one of the states with which they have agreements so that you can pay in state tuition.

Thanks a lot but most schools require payment of at least 10% of the fees. That's why I was hoping to work for a while before resuming school.

HotAsIce:


Thanks a lot but most schools require payment of at least 10% of the fees. That's why I was hoping to work for a while before resuming school.

No American school will require you to pay 10% upfront fees as an American. Incase that is the case, tell them you are awaiting the outcome of your FAFSA application. In the mean time, you could go to the US and work since you are a citizen.

GboyegaD:


No American school will require you to pay 10% upfront fees as an American. Incase that is the case, tell them you are awaiting the outcome of your FAFSA application. In the mean time, you could go to the US and work since you are a citizen.

Thanks a lot. However, that's where the problem lies. I don't know anyone in the US to stay with. My family is in Nigeria and they're not in the best of financial situations right now.

HotAsIce:


Thanks a lot. However, that's where the problem lies. I don't know anyone in the US to stay with. My family is in Nigeria and they're not in the best of financial situations right now.

You are making it sound unnecessary difficult. Apply to a school and apply for FAFSA and other scholarships you are qualified for, and also apply for residence. Wait till the week of resumption and zoom of to school. All you need do is to state in your FAFSA application the amount you would need for tuition and other expenses. You could drop your number on here and I will try to call you to explain things to you as it seems you have a very rigid opinion about the process. Another suggestion will be that you go visit the USA student visa thread in the travel section and you would get prompt response.

GboyegaD:


You are making it sound unnecessary difficult. Apply to a school and apply for FAFSA and other scholarships you are qualified for, and also apply for residence. Wait till the week of resumption and zoom of to school. All you need do is to state in your FAFSA application the amount you would need for tuition and other expenses. You could drop your number on here and I will try to call you to explain things to you as it seems you have a very rigid opinion about the process. Another suggestion will be that you go visit the USA student visa thread in the travel section and you would get prompt response.

Thank you very much sir. You're God sent! I'll stay in touch and give you update.

HotAsIce:
Hello all.
I have an American passport and I have every intention of leaving this country to fend for myself and independently put myself through school abroad by juggling work with school in either the US or UK.
However, I seem to have an accommodation issue for I don't know anyone living in these two countries.
I know a couple of people but I'm not to close enough to them to ask them for such a huge favour. Please, give me advice on what steps you think I should take.

Even in the worst case scenario,in USA, you can search out the local homeless shelters in your city of choice.. From there you will be linked with resource connections for work, school and even to register with the Social security adminstration for a social security card if you dont have it already... There is always day labour centers that you can work at even from the very first day or two you go there.. You just go very early in the morning and sign in for work.. If you work well, you can be hired on permanently or just on a day to day basis until you find a job of your choice...
You can even apply all the FAFSA shcool money while in the homeless shelter and working day labor to survive... There are even places to eat for free that homeless people go.. You will just have to deal with smelly tattered people while there and then pursue your focus..
You can apply for food assitance from the SNAP program while in the homeless shelter and working day labor..
From that position, you can surely find a more stable place of your own or shared with others, and on into school..

Trust me, American citizens willfully and deliberately live on the streets and homelss shelters, eating at the free food charity centers.. Others are more ambitious and work day labour centers from day to day until they get their life back together or into school and training..

Remember to ask, wherever you end up, even if you end up in jail, ask for resource centers and counselors that can show you all the resources available to citizens who want to get their lives together in productive and gainfully employed ways...

I swear to you, your greatest asset is that you are coming from Nigeria from a poor or basic family and accustomed to hardship on a level unknown in USA. You can just show up here with a US passport, find where to get your birth certificate and then apply for the Social security card.. After that, you are with the keys to get all kinds of assistance.. If you dont get a job to afford all your basic needs, you will qualify for assitance for food.. You will also be able to go to any food banks for free food...
There are homeless people who live at bus stops and they eat so much that they are very fat.. I mean fat like you never see in Nigeria..

Just come not even worried if you will sleep on the streets, as long as it is summer time... If you are not coming to run with gansters and be wasted on drugs and drinking alchohol, then stay away from those people on the street and go instead to the resource centers, search out churches and their charity centers such as homeless shelters , go to the university you like and talk to their counselors and assk them about other resource centers for your personal life issues and so on. If they dont have it for you, they will have the number and address for where to go... Every thing you need to start from bottom to reach a degree and worthwhile employment is here..
Just stay away from the many americans who wander the streets intent to go no farther than staying on the streets with drugs and drink and asking for money and eating free charity food and free charity clothes...

Apply a community college, why? it's really cheap, get a community college that has college housing, apply to the school, then apply fafsa.com, your financial aid should cover your school fees and room and board, when school close for summer get a job and pick from there.