Assistance for getting pets neutered?

Hey all, looking to get my wife's dog, a 3 year old Yorkie, and my 6 month old kitten neutered. The shelters around here are ridiculous, some want up to $1k. It NEVER used to cost that much! I've contacted the humane society and they don't do spaying or neutering in my area anymore. The county animal shelter has a website that says kittens are $30 and small dogs $100, but I called today and they don't do those services for small animals anymore.

So we called around some more and the cheapest we could find gave us a range of $300-$500 per pet and we'd be on a wait list. This is fucking ridiculous, my family owned pets all my life and it never cost them anywhere near that much money. Is there a way to receive financial assistance or take them somewhere to get it done for a little cheaper? Maybe a veterinary school or something?