I hate to phrase it this way but what makes you “very qualified” besides things that other candidates have? Pretty much all candidates will have a portfolio and some self taught additional skills. Do you have pervious job experience? Have you done projects outside of homework assignments that have paid and can be a reference for you? Internships?

While i agree that the initial salary seems low, when you are starting out typically it’s towards the bottom. I would probably expect low 30s to 35s for this position but without knowing more about the job requirements it is hard to tell. Additionally it all depends on the market you are in. I live in a metropolitan area so we pay a little more, and cost of living is higher, we have lots of remote workers in the Midwest and we don’t pay them as much because the cost of living is so much lower. 26k could be reasonable for where you are located.

I would recommend shooting for 32k and mentioning the hardship. Also do you know if their office allows dogs? While I realize it is a candidates market too many demands/exceptions can sour management’s opinions of you before you begin. You are already asking for higher pay and work from home (which I think they should consider). I would just be wary of sending what looks like a list of demands.