I'm 18 years old, and I want to go to Australia. Where do I even start?

A Student Visa would be a good way to start. You could study at Uni. in Australia, graduate from an Aussie Uni., then be better placed to get necessary sponsorship to eventually get a work visa. It is doable, but difficult. The source listed below should help with further questions about this. P.S. U.S. Financial Aid at least works in some foreign universities(I ume you are American, if not, my apologies). The school just needs to be what is called Title IV. The US Dept. of Ed. should be able to answer the Title IV status for you. Good luck in your endeavours!