Dear Pay Dirt, I am a transfer college student in an expensive area living with my slightly psychologically (and occasionally physically) abusive parents. I have a job that pays well enough for me to move out, which would be the best thing for my mental health, but my credit is in the gutter. Essentially, when I was going to college before, my parents refused to pay the last month of rent for an apartment I lived at without letting me know. I only figured it out when applying for a credit card two years ago or so, and it was denied because of collections.