I likely would not have gone to college but for the athletic scholarship, at least not without significant delay. My father was wealthy, but abandoned the family (thankfully, as he was terribly abusive; he was well known in track circles and of course while many knew about it no adults back then were there to help). There was no way to qualify for aid - as I found out when I was accepted to several Ivy League schools. Father's income loomed large, and he wouldn't have completed a financial aid form under any circumstance. He hated being a father (we got in the way given his penchant for much younger women) and to him I was a fat, dumb and lazy loser. While successful both professionally and academically and easily in the so-called 1 percent, I never became more than a big time loser to him and he recently died without contacting me for decades. No joy in that story. Junior college perhaps was an option but there was no public transportation back then to the school, and my kind mother was losing her home and hospitalized. I should have looked at it more seriously than I did, however. I looked at West Point too and was recruited vigorously there, but I had doubts about my ability to handle the lifestyle and at that time there was a limited number of majors, with the curriculum wrapped around general engineering (not my thing). I did receive a 75% scholarship at one of the best schools that offer athletic scholarships, so I have no complaints. Division 1 running while working jobs all of the time to stay afloat (I had to feed and house myself over the summer and pay for food and travel during the school year) was not easy, and I was not set up to maximize either track or academics. In retrospect I should have taken one of the Big Ten full ride offers - I was immature and was swayed by the fact that my college had small classes which I believed kept me from cutting class (to be fair a wise assumption in retrospect, being 18 with no family structure or support). Again, I went on to a top grad school where I did well beyond any expectations, so I have no complaints. You take what life gives you. I was a very good high school runner, but there are no 75% scholarships at places like I went to today. So while it was a struggle, I am incredibly grateful. My daughters went to the best schools in the nation, of course, with everything paid for with no debt and a car and vacations and the like, along with tuition paid for grad school. I wouldn't want it any other way as paying it forward exorcised a lot of demons. So again very, very lucky.
Who you hang out with is important. My aunt got us in an excellent school district where were two time state champions (never will happen again), and I had a cadre of friends - true friends - both women and men who really stayed after me about staying above water academically. None of them were athletes. Back then the high schools tracked academically, so I was fortunate enough to be in the top track and at the same time have friends who really stayed on me about not wasting academic opportunity, as I was always inclined to do. One of them went with me to my college and she was essentially a sister to me and would go over my academic schedule with me. Again, this factor in hindsight looms as the best thing that ever happened to me.
By the way, don't take this rags to riches story that seriously. There are others on this board with far more impressive stories, and my respect for those who have dug out of the trenches is significant. Those on this board know to what I speak, and to a one will say running gave them the discipline to get through. In the end I did what I wanted to do. And I was no victim either. I had lots of freedom since age 16 and am thankful I had people in my life who kept me from abusing it. My only regret is in not being able to do more for my late mother, who was an incredibly kind person and who had a rough life which was not deserved.