Chief Chaos, I cannot but agree with you that tuition is absolutely outragious and I would hope to see steps taken to help get this in control. I do what I can by supporting scholarship funds at three different colleges with hopes that someone out there who really needs a break for a few hundred dollars or a couple thousand to help them through a rough quarter has an opportunity to get some free money. I never thought about the debt service I was taking on, only on the goal I had set. We did receive medicaid and food stamps during this time as my wife had a job that paid only a bit more than minimum wage. Had I failed and never graduated, I am sure I would have had to spend the rest of my life paying my way out of it.

I am not bragging here, I feel that lots of things lined up correctly for me to enable me to accomplish my dreams, but I guess the point I am trying to make is that if you don't try, you are destined to not succeed. I find it better to have dreams and goals and plans than to be told and made to feel that there is no hope. I am truly a very fortunate man. I thank God every day for allowing me the opportunity to succeed, but in the final analysis, I had to help make my dreams come true by actions.

I have a young lady that worked for me for 12 years, had a family of three children and a husband who is a fireman. She attended night school in addition to working full time for me until she got her core requirements to apply to Dental Hygiene College. Last year, she also was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to undergo chemotherapy and a mastectomy. She continued to work throughout this time and only took one semester off school. She was accepted in to the program in September and I am happy to say that she is nearly halfway through the program and will graduate with honors in April 2005. She will them move from a job making $14 per hour to one where she will probably start at about $35 per hour. She never lost sight of her goal, and because of this and nothing else, she will succeed. Does this always happen? No it certainly doesn't. Is part of the reason the high cost of education? Yes I will grant you that. Is part of the cause the deplorable low wages available to students? Yes I will also grant you that. Can you agree that the lack of success can also be attributed to not setting goals? to Not attending class? to generally not being willing to make the effort? I have to say yes to that also, because I was a student like that until I wised up and got my life plan in order.