TL;DR: Possible future financial issues about me not able to receive federal financial aid because of conflict between conscription and selective services. I must do the former, before applying for the latter (source), and by the time that happened, I'm already over 25. (source) I'm currently 23, had not had my birthday yet, and I'm not graduated yet, I have another semester to go.

Long story:

Hello, I want to pursue a game designer career, for me to create many interactive stories for future game fans to play in. If this little bit doesn't need a lot of pursuing, I could continue to become a game programmer, and just design games as a hobby.

My number one problem about financial issues for me to study abroad, is me not eligible for financial aids. I'm a US citizen, born in San Francisco, CA, but I live overseas outside of US. I'll be over 25 once I lay a foot on US soil, which makes me unable to register for Selective Services, thus I'm possibly not eligible for a financial aid in time (I am conscripted to do military services and that won't stop until 12 months later). (source)

Currently, I'm a computer science international undergraduate looking into applying for Interactive Media and Game Development at Worcester Polytechnic Institute as my graduate education.

The institute's location is a bit favorable, as it's near Mom's home (according to Mom, who said it's an hour long drive. I don't know how much it is worth, as I only know Starkville, MS to Birmingham, AL is a 6~7 hour drive.) It's a recommendation by others who are my Mom's co-workers. And they also recommend Becker College (which is also 1 hour drive from home, and I'm sure I can't go there, as they are for undergrads.)

I have unsuccessfully tried to find other alternatives to lower the cost in Worcester that has Game Development courses. Maybe I'm not searching the right ones on Google.

I also tried unsuccessfully looking for WPI scholarships. But figuring the cost of out-of-state tuitions, the distance from home, the living fees outside of school, factor in the possibility of obtaining the scholarships, and minus the cost after getting one, the cost for going into other alternatives are just as high as WPI's in-state tuition. I'm pretty confident (somewhat 70%, as I'm unfamiliar with the rules over there) that I added the costs up correctly, or I'm probably missing out other stuffs.

So, any advice for my future? Anything I totally missed or misunderstood? Thanks in advance.