There's sometimes other options available, but people who most need them don't necessarily know about them. And there's also a lot of predatory elements, like near-worthless diploma mills, that people have to know to avoid. It sounds like you did the best you could, under the circumstances (even back-and-forth didn't work).

I got turned down for financial aid that I needed for college (didn't even know I could try to appeal or argue it), and had to take a roundabout way to further education and credentials.

In my case, I was the eldest of six kids, my family couldn't help at all with college, I was already pretty much on my own, I didn't have anyone advising me, and apparently that part of the system didn't work right that time.

Thank goodness for community college, another part of the system, which I happened to hear of. Only ~$25 per credit hour (IIRC) while I worked in a store part-time. The community college had very dedicated instructors, and it also got me a lucky industry internship, with which I managed to support myself.

I wouldn't recommend the community college low-status route, iff you have the chance to go to an elite school, where further opportunity doors are not only opened, but you're practically carried through many doors. If you're not going to an elite magical door-opening college anyway, and you can't afford the 4-year college experience, then maybe it makes sense to do 2 years for a community college before transferring for 2 more years (find someone at the school you plan to transfer to, who will talk with you about that, and get something official about transferable credits, in writing).

(I eventually did get degrees from two fancy-pants schools, thanks in part to altruistic mentoring I was very lucky to receive. And also thanks to the willingness of the first fancy school to give me a chance.)