Learning the skilled trade of welding is a good one, because I understand there is a shortage of skilled, trained welders in the USA and pay is good. Be careful about choosing a school for welding, so that you will receive proper training and be considered employable. The American Welding Society has a database which will identify acceptable welding instruction programs in your state in the area where you live. This is the link: * http://www.aws.org/w/sense/ Only you will know if you can balance full-time work as a welder with attending college/university full-time. After your welding training, you may wish to work full-time as a welder for a full year before starting at any college/university. By that time you will have saved some money to pay for your college expenses (along with any financial aid you are awarded - see info on that below) and will know how tiring the work will be. By that time, perhaps you can arrange to work only 3/4 time or 1/2 time for employer and attend classes/study/research full-time at a college/univ. Once you know when you wish to apply for acceptance at a college/univ., complete and submit the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid - http://www.fafsa.ed.gov ) for the particular school year so you can be considered for Federal student aid by the college/univ. you wish to attend/to which you apply. The FAFSA must be completed/submitted annually. For example, for the 2013-14 school year (starting classes Fall 2013), the FAFSA will be available Jan. 1, 2013. You can use the FAFSA4Caster to become familiar with the kinds of question asked and the information you will need when you complete the application for real: * https://fafsa.ed.gov/FAFSA/app/f4cForm?e... This web page (Student Aid on the Web) has links for more information on Federal student aid and the FAFSA: * http://studentaid.ed.gov/ Your state government may also provide need-based college/univ. financial aid. You can find links with useful financial aid information here: FinAid.org * http://www.finaid.org/otheraid/ A financial aid adviser at the college/univ. (not any for-profit/career/proprietary college/univ. - avoid them at all costs) to which you apply/want to attend can advise you more on financial aid when it comes closer to the time to apply to your chosen schools. Plus, whatever program you may identify may be eligible for Federal student aid. Just be aware that there is a cap on the total amount of Federal student aid you (or any student) can receive and a maximum number of course credits (welding or otherwise) and time for receiving Federal student aid. A financial aid adviser can explain the limits in detail. The rules may or may not change by the time you are a college/university student. They were recently changed starting July 2012. Keep up-to-date on news regarding financial aid options for college/univ. students. Also, visit your local public library and ask a reference librarian to help you find these books to check out, read and learn more: Title: The College Solution: A Guide for Everyone Looking for the Right School at the Right Price (2nd edition) Author: Lynn O'Shaughnessy Publisher: FT Press, 2012 Title: Getting financial aid, 2013 (7th edition) Author: College Entrance Examination Board Publisher: New York: College Board, 2012 Librarians--Ask Us, We Answer! Find your local Public Library at: * http://www.publiclibraries.com/ Find your College/University Library at: * http://lists.webjunction.org/libweb/Academic_main.html Best wishes