There are scholarship assistance for newcomers.  I  disagree with your coworker.  It's a really neat feeling to be around people who are your own size.  Who truly know what it's like to be like you.  There's doctors who give free medical advice, specialists from all the best hospitals.  You realize there people like you from all over the world.  There is the city of Seattle that is so neat.  I have grown up in LPA.  It helped advise my parents of average size that the doctors that delivered were wrong and I would work in a circus and never walk.  I met my husband thru LPA, adopted a daughter thru LPA, met some of the most wonderful friends.  My children who are dwarfs love going and seeing there friends and participating in sports where it would not be fair to compete in the tall world.  There is dancing every night.  The money is expensive but you can use the discount code for airlines in the convention issue and hotel fees in a city are pretty fair if not cheap if you have ever stayed in nice hotel lately.  And like American Express says, " everything else is priceless".  Do what I did and charge it, it's so worth it.