Creative ways to find funding for college

I’ve decided to go back to school this fall to earn a degree. It doesn’t matter to me which kind. I’ve figured that earning an associates first then a bachelors (or just simply acquiring a bachelors) would help me to make more money and feel more fulfilled.

The problem is that I suck at college. I’ve gone twice before.
While I think I’m more capable and motivated to finish this time because I’ve learned through career experience what I want to do long term, I have a really hard time feeling like I know what I am doing when it comes to planning how to pay.

I work in education so I’m off for the summer and the summer is unpaid. And lately it’s been hard to pay for “ extras” meaning I’m pretty much just paying bills and buying food with not much left over.

I also don’t qualify for federal student aid. My loans are in default. In the meantime, I’ve requested that those loans be consolidated when I return to work this August so that I can make payments and then request a loan after making atleast four payments.

What are some creative ways I can fund college in the meantime? And please give me options other than scholarships. As I’ve missed the deadline for most of the substantial scholarships and the ones I’ve applied for don’t close until sometime in the fall.

I don’t want to wait until spring semester. I’d like to start right away.

Is that reasonable?