Striving, the fact taht you bring up these questions already puts you ahead of the game, compared to other seminary girls who do not question anything, and believe, starry-eyed, that “G-d will provide.” (I guess they believe their father’s name is G-d. It does nto sound as if your parents are willing to support a kollel life for you. They both work hard, and truthfully, it’s time for them to sit back and relax a bit, and not have to worry about supporting yet another mouth and then potentially lots of little ones. You should pursue the career for which you feel will best serve your interests. There are no guarantees in life, and looking for a more “lucrative” career is not a done deal that you will find one. If you love Social Work, be a social worker. IMO, it is better for a frum girl to pursue a career that will give her the freedom to be with her children to raise them, when she needs to be.
It is truly wonderful that you have made learning so choshuv to yourself, but qhy can’t you marry a boy who will learn half a day and work half a day, so that between you both, you are making enough of a parnassah to meet your expenses, without being too matriach on your parents, who did not expect this? As you can tell, I am not a big Kollel life fan. I think too many girls jump into the life without really understanding what they can expect. Often they have been ‘talked into” the idea that it is the only noble life for Jewish girl and boy. I do not believe this to be true, and there are many ways in which you can show your love of Torah and be machshiv it, without going the kollel route necessarily. If you do elect to do that, though, iw ish you hatzlacha rabba.