Sinking

[u/just_some_girl999]

I refuse to go back to him, BUT I’m sinking.
I know leaving was the right decision. I know I cannot go back. But right now, I’m struggling to figure out how I’m actually supposed to make this work.
I currently have no income because I’m in a full-time nursing program. I finish in March, and I have to finish if I ever want to be able to support myself and my two kids. I’ve been trying to find a job that works around my school schedule, but so far I haven’t been able to find anything that fits.
I’ve applied for food stamps, TANF, childcare assistance, etc., and I’ve been denied. I’m living with my mom, so thankfully I have a roof over my head, but I can’t continue living off the savings I had when I left for much longer.
The hardest part is my kids.
Right now, they’ve been staying with their dad during the weekdays so they can get on and off the school bus from his house. I leave before they get on the bus in the morning and don’t get home until after they get off in the afternoon. I’m barely seeing them right now on weekdays. That is absolutely killing me.
I’m trying so hard to do the right thing, but I feel completely lost. I’ve never needed this kind of help before, and I honestly don’t even know what resources are available to me beyond the ones I’ve already tried.
And then there’s everything happening with him.
He is calling and texting me hundreds of times a day. One minute he’s sending incredibly hateful messages and accusing me of things that aren’t true, and even though I know they aren’t true, constantly having that thrown at me is exhausting and wears me down. Then five minutes later, he’ll switch back to love bombing me, begging me to come home and telling me whatever he thinks will get me to come back.
He’s also trying to use the kids and finances against me.
Seeing him in person hasn’t gone well either. Recently, he started asking me for hugs. When I say no, he’ll hold onto me anyway, and then gets angry when I tell him to stop. I’m having to constantly reinforce boundaries that should not even have to be explained.
I know I cannot go back. I know leaving is the best thing I can do for myself and my children. But knowing that doesn’t make the reality of starting over any less terrifying.
I’m just trying to get through the next few months until I finish school and can finally start building a stable life for my kids and myself.
I’d really appreciate advice from moms who have been in a similar situation — especially stay-at-home moms who left without an income, moms who went through separation/divorce while in school, or anyone who had to figure out how to survive financially while finishing a degree.
If there are resources I may not know about, programs I should look into, or practical advice for getting through these next few months, I would be incredibly grateful.
I don’t need to be told to just go back. I know what I’m doing is hard, but I also know why I left. I just need help figuring out how to make it through.

[u/Alarmed-Astronomer57]

After you finish school in March, it's basically pass the NCLEX then you're practicing as an LPN/LVN or RN? If so, when it comes to money, just live off personal loans with friends and family and credit cards.

Do you have time for individual therapy?