You can totally do this! It's not always easy but it is so totally worth! And once you start the process of sorting everything out, you'll find that it's not too overwhelming at all.
Go to your prospective school's financial aid office. They will have you fill out a FAFSA. The results of that will take a couple of weeks, I think. If you are not working and are living on your own, I'd say that there's a VERY good chance that you're eligible for government grants. You can get additional loans, too, (subsidized government loans are what you want, and you'll probably qualify. Again, the financial aid office can explain all these things; that's indeed their job) if you need them to survive on your own. For instance, I have received government grants AND scholarships all of which covers the full cost of my tuition--which itself includes a bit of money towards cost of living. In all, I receive about $5,000 per semester after all my fees are paid! That's not a lot of money to live on, but it certainly helps. I could get additional loans, too, if I wanted to.
I don't know where you are planning to go to school but there are often employment opportunities at your school--the good thing is the can be quite flexible, but many of them tend to be low-paying. I know, that, at my school (which is a major university), there are opportunities to do research, which would allow you to do a lot of work from home. You might want to look into something like that. Also, most schools have offices that can help you with employment.
It's hard, but many, MANY women do it--and think what a better life you'll be able to provide for your lo--and enjoy yourself! Good luck to you.
