I am a single parent with two childeren, one of which is about to attend a Historical Black College, Grambling.  I don't have the finances available to send him without assistance.  I have a work-related injury that has taken me out of the employment area and I am stuck until I am able to get additional assistance, but until then,  I heard that there are Government Grants available for many of my needs, but I have not been able to locate them or even get the assistance to help my son in his reach for  responsible adulthood.

I have several long stories for my situation, but I would like to concentrate on my son and possibly a way to get out of my situation. 

My son was a good student with misdirection from his coaches and the lack of counseling from those that were capable of aiding him while he attended high school.  His grade point average dropped from a 3.0 or better to 2.0.  I encouraged him to bring his grades back up and keep trying after having difficulty with some teachers and classes.  He played football, baseball and track and field.  He made it to the State Championship and placed 5th in California, however before getting there he had been struggling in his Economics Class and asked for help from a teacher who seemingly had a grudge against atheletes, based on comments made in his classroom to his students.  He had been asked for assistance for my son during his struggles in this class, 3 months prior to graduation.  The teacher agreed to assist his and keep in contact with me as well.  He didn't and my son complained that he wasn't doing well still.  The teacher knew that my son had already been accepted to Grambling Unv. and had a scholarship as well.  He also knew that my son had been doing well in track, and expected to go to the California State Championship Meet.   To find out less than a week, roughly 3 days before graduation that he wouldn't be passing this class which would also keep him from graduating was devestating.

I had to hold onto everything I could to keep from falling apart before my son, who I know really worked hard to get to this point and still had to be strong for his teammates who half would be graduating with him and the other two the following year.  I told him that I would do everything I could to get help in this selfish prank by his teacher who didn't allow any make up assignments, no extra credit, nor any additional work to aid him from where he was nor called me to inform me that his status had changed from being one that he would help to one that he would try to distroy.

I am trying to get funds to assist my son to go to Grambling this fall and the future semesters on a Pell Grant and a loan and what ever I can come up with.  I have been hit financially due to a bankruptcy from not being able to recover from a work injury sustained on 9/11/01 where I ruptured several neck discs and shoulder and abdominal hernia from a patient lifting injury.  I have had several surgeries with the promise from my doctors to be able to return, but I haven't still been cleared to go back to work in my field, but a form of light duty with the doctor's restrictions keeping me from actually doing any form of my job, but still being employable.  I can't work outside in the registry nor any additional modality because of the vagueness of the doctors restrictions not disability.  So, I am paying and have had to pay bills that were extended due to promise to sooner return, but not.

My son is now paying in another way, I just want to get chance to get the information for starting a business, buying a home and of course paying my childrens' way through school.