Returning to College

So I have just decided to return to the college after taking a two year break. Prior to taking that two year break I was in and out of school pretty steadily the past, oh for simplicity sake lets just say, seven years. After I graduated high school I was awarded a soccer scholarship which ended up paying for everything, it was a full ride. I was awarded a few extra scholarships prior to being awarded my soccer scholarship and so, lucky me, I had money to pocket. Well not really because of all the extra expenses that came with being on the soccer team, but in theory it would have been. Anyway, I played soccer for the first year (I was also majoring in athletic training) and then on the way home from our last tournament/playoff game of the season we were told that the college was cancelling our soccer program and we would no longer be awarded our scholarships. It was so depressing and frustrating that I wanted nothing to do with athletics at that point and as soon as I possibly could I changed my major to criminal justice. I continued going to school and focusing on my studies but found myself in an abusive and controlling relationship in which I was ordered to drop out of school, or else. At this point I didn't believe I was strong enough to stand up for myself, much less leave the relationship, and so I dropped out. Eventually I found the courage and strength to take my baby and leave and then not long after I returned to school. Being a single mom working full time I found it hard to focus on my work, school and my son and in turn I found myself dropping out yet again. I worked full time at this job for five years before I just knew I had to make a change in my life. At that point I stopped working and returned to school, this time I actually completed what I was going for and the way my self-confidence and self-esteem improved is indescribable. Shortly after I found out I was pregnant and then because of the birth of my son and other personal issues that my family was faced with I was unable to continue on with my education. Now, two years later I find myself ready and able to return to college and finish what I started. I just enrolled in an online campus, something I have never done before, and I am so very optimistic that this time I will actually succeed.

I must ask though, how many of you have returned as "non-traditional" students, or after taking a significant break? Did you find it extremely hard to find scholarships and grants to help you offset the cost of returning to school? Don't get me wrong, I have found some that I will (or have) applied for, but not near the amount that pop up for first time students or high school seniors. Am I doing something wrong or are there just not that many opportunities out there for under graduate students returning to school after taking a break? I really WANT to succeed and make something of myself but without some, no scratch that without a LOT of financial aid I just don't see how this is going to be possible, and neither does my husband. I know there are loans out there available I just don't know much about them and everything I find to read seems to confuse me more, plus we don't have the worlds best credit and so I don't even know if we would qualify for a loan and he says that's a huge burden on us to have outstanding school loans lurking in the dark waiting to jump out at us at any time. I'm just beginning to feel very frustrated with this whole process of searching for scholarships that I qualify for and basically coming up empty handed. Where do I go from here?