Greetings, Bdancer83!
From what I understand in your post, your iPhone is connecting to various Wi-Fi networks (seemingly) fine, but you have been unable to use any network-dependent apps, including email. You say that you're able to connect the iPhone to a hotspot created by your iPad, and it works. I know how important it is to be able to use all your iPhone apps as intended. I expect the same from my iPhone! I would be happy to help in any way I can.
You seem to have the latest iOS update, that's great! Next, do you have a good recent backup of your iPhone? I would recommend that as a first step, in order to protect your personal data:
How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
The next thing you might want to try after that is resetting your network settings. To do that, tap Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. This resets Wi-Fi networks and passwords, cellular settings, and VPN and APN settings that you've used before. After you've done the reset, try connecting again to one of your available Wi-Fi networks and see if your apps are working.
If the apps are still not working after that reset, try restoring your iPhone "as new" (not from the backup you made previously) and see if the same thing happens. Just download whatever app you were having an issue with from the App Store (or set up a mail account in the Mail app). Use this document for reference for restoring "as new":
Use iTunes on your Mac or PC to restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to factory settings
If the apps work fine after the restore to factory settings, you can use this information to restore from your backup, and see if you still have the issue:
Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch from a backup
Best regards!
