Hi Lizz,
I totally understand your predicament !! I was in exactly the same situation last year when I started the Access course. The only thing I can advise is to get a part time job (but put the access as priority as much as u possibly can!) Earn £100 ish a week. That's say, £70 shared house and a bit of food. Try to live as close as possible to the college you're attending to save on travel costs and grim and bear it for 10 months. Cancel your life and just live to keep your head afloat for those few months. They fly passed incredibly fast and when you come out in the other end, it will be extremely rewarding. Then once you get in to uni, you will have the funds available to you to "live" again through maintenance grants. My college offered me £900 in dribs and drabs for travel costs but I lived miles away. Maybe you could tell a few fibs and say you lived else where to get this extra funding but that's an option if you dared do that.
I take my hat off to you for trying !! My advise is go for it ! You can do it !
Best of luck
Faye