I am an exceptionally hard working clinical psychology doctoral student.  Asside from classes, studying, and working on my dissertation, I spend a great deal of my time volunteering in the community (domestic violence shelters, various children's charities, and an organization that helps adults with severe and persistent mental illnesses become active members of the community).  I am beyond financially stressed right now, my school made a huge error with my financial aid, and while I've managed to get the financial aid office to fix the problem... I won't see the financial benefit of that until my next disbursement in January.  By that time I will have been evicted from my apartment.  I am working 3 part-time jobs on top of going to school and am trying my best to fix this problem.... but I feel like I am drowning and I don't know what else to do.  If there is anyone who can help me... please, I would be eternally greatful!

I am a 3rd year clinical psychology doctoral student specializing in children and adolescents.  I am 6 months away from starting my internship and actually making some money, and I am petrified I am not going to make it to that point because I won't have a apartment.  My school screwed up my financial aid at the beginning of this academic year.  The school increased tuition and never increased the cost of attendence budget, therefore part of the financial aid I receive that should have gone toward housing/food/utilities, etc. went toward tuition and I received $2500 in September to cover ALL of my bills through the end of December.  So I have been unable to pay November's rent and now December's rent is also due.  I received an eviction notice the day before Thanksgiving and I just don't know what else to do. 

I am doing everything I can to straighten out this financial mess.  I am working 3 part-time jobs (totaling 30 hours a week) on top of classes and the 20hrs a week I work (unpaid)doing therapy with severely emotionally disturbed foster care kids.  But this is not enough to make up the difference of the $4,000 that went to tuition instead of my living expenses.  I harassed the school to fix the financial aid problem, and after weeks of begging and pleading it was finally fixed, but it won't help financially until next semester when I get my next disbursement (Jan.).  So the problem is not that I don't have any money, it's that I don't have any money right now.  All I need is for someone to cosign an alternative student loan (for $4,000)so that I can pay my past due rent, and my rent and bills through the end of December and maybe even fly home to see my family (It's been over a year since I've seen them). Between my jobs, and financial aid disbursements in January and May, I would be able to pay off the alternative student loan by May. 

My family is unable to help me financially (I am the first to attend college, and god willing, will be the first Dr. in the family) and my hope is that once I graduate and become licensed, I will be able to help them.  I am a good person, I work hard, and my entire purpose in pursuing my doctorate in clinical psychology is to be able to help children who have had the deck stacked against them so early in life (i.e., abused, neglected, behavioral disorders, autistic disorders, etc.), and now that I have had the opportunity to work with foster care children my long term goal is to start a private foundation to overhaul the foster care system.  Because from what I've seen thus far, once children go into the foster care system their chances of being happy, "normal" kids decreases dramatically. 

Please, if there is any way someone could possibly help me I would be forever greatful.  Achieving my doctorate in psychology has been my dream for so long and I can't bear the thought that it might all fall apart when I'm so close...