Sorry you are feeling so bad. Health insurance (which would probably come with a job you'd get as a vet tech) should cover the cost of your boyfriend's care, and he can also apply for disability or other social services. IMHO cross each bridge as you come to it. If you want to be a vet tech, go for it. Financial aid or scholarships may be available. Check out all the possibilities and opportunities before you give up. Also, your relationship might change. If you believe in a higher power, ask for help and guidance. But there are other people studying to be vet techs who also have problems.

I say if that's where your passion is than do it. You will probably be happier doing something you like and living on a strict budget than you would be making twice the income with something you hate.

Can your boyfriend apply for Medicare?

That's what we are waiting for.

As a vet tech, you actually have more options than you realize. With additional training, you can go into animal rehabilitation , massage therapy for animals and yes that is a real thing but I have no idea what they make , and other areas beyond a clinic. I tell you this because I know there is a burnout rate and it is six years after you start working as a vet tech. I have known that techs and they've told me this over and over. Just know that your passion to be a vet tech is a worthwhile passion and is not as limited financially as you think. Check out jobs in animal therapy as well because you need you to be a vet tech or a physical therapist to do them. With regards to your boyfriend, SSI or SSD would be his income. Medicaid or Medicare would his insurance. He could get food stamps. Even the most disabled people are able to make an income. I am physically disabled and can't work right now. So what I've been doing, other than collecting SSD, is writing. You can write from anywhere. The plethora and expansion of telecommuting can give your boyfriend opportunities that he might not otherwise have so his ability to work is not all lost. Both of you have options. Go into the vet tech program. Pursue whatever avenue you want when it comes to animal care . Let your boyfriend handle the responsibility of applying for the services that he needs and tell him to explore telecommuting jobs when he is ready and at his healthiest, after he has gotten health insurance to stabilize his condition enough to at least work part-time telecommuting from home. This is not a lost cause case . It may seem like it but it isn't. Believe me you have options. Pursue your passion and don't let anything hold it back. I say this is somebody who made that mistake once, more than once actually. Go for it!

Why not try the next best thing...becoming a Veternarian. They make plenty of income. You will still be in the field you love. I know you are struggling right now. You can still follow your dreams. Hopefully, your boyfriend is getting a supplemental income for his illness. Another way you can make income is being an animalsitter. Work from home!

I didn't know there were other branches for vet techs! I'll definitely look into that. At the moment he has no medical at all. We are waiting to hear if he got approved. It's been months. As for being a vet i don't have the attention span for it at all. 2 years for a vet tech is pushing it. Some antidepressants i used to be on really messed with my memory and attention span.