Do3r17,
With an attitude like yours, there's only one place you're going, and that's Up, Up and away! You seem to have the remarkable gift of being able to ignore the negatives, and hold onto the positives, good traits for an industry that can have it's rough moments, but then I forget the rough moments and only remember the good ones which are in abundance.
You mention your Dad's help, the Lord's help, and your Dad's money's help. OK, that's good, but in the end you can only go all the way by helping yourself, I suspect that you will.
Do it NOW! If you want further academic qualifications, that's good too, but after the first years of heavy commitment to aviation study, you'll have ample time on your hands to take your studies further. Getting in young is the biggest favour that you can do for yourself.
This business just gets better and better all of the time, after 40 years the only depressing aspect for me is that in 3 years I'm time expired and can do it no more.
Regards,
Old Smokey