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$12 an hour is barley enough to live on in most of the country. In many places, it’s not enough to cover rent.

The average cost of community college tuition is around $3.5k a year. Add in books, fees, transportation, lost income from not being available for shifts etc..., and that’s just not realistic unless you can live with your parents or someone else is supporting you.

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This was 15 years ago, so it would be $15.90 today.

Average Pell Grant comes in at over $4.4K

Pell grants are based on EFC, so until you are 25, married, or a veteran, your ability to get a Pell grant can be limited by your parents income.

Yes, perhaps I misunderstood the intent of the original post. I was assuming it was a hypothetical independent adult based on the “unless...” part the OP. If you have other family contributing, the hypothetical breaks down and without further details it’s not really possible to determine if there’s actual financial hardship.

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