I know you said no to military, but you really should reconsider. If you're bragging about being the class president it shows you might have leadership potential. Go to a college and get a degree in whatever floats your boat. If your school has ROTC join that, or after you graduate go to OCS and become a commissioned officer and have the military pay for your flight training and make good money as a military pilot. I think they make about 50 grand starting out. If you can't get a pilot slot, at least you have your degree to fall back on and make some money and pay for aviation as you go. The reason I say this is that military pilots have it good. After 10 years of service you can retire and have a pension and go straight to the majors or perhaps cargo and start making bank (bypass the regionals). Otherwise the civilian route is pretty much a life of poverty. Being a flight instructor making crap and then going to a regional and still making crap. I really think the civilian route needs to change some, to attract pilots if airlines get most of their pilots from the civilian world. Hopefully that helps some. I'm on the flight instructor stage and have to say am having a hard time staying focused. The pay is lousy after getting this rating. Its a long way to 1500 hours and then I get an airline job making bad money once again... Just got to keep plugging along!