I have come to notice a growing number of people complaining they can not afford the cost of a college education. It rather amuses me the lack of creativity they put into this excuse. I am unemployed and living alone and yet I still managed to get myself enrolled in college. The overflow of my loans and grants are what keep my living costs. I won't lie about it, coming across the grants and scholarships took work. I had to go to the campus and get a book listing the available grants and scholarships (and surf the net for the ones not listed), write essays, fill out miles of paperwork, and even put in some community service time, none of it was easily laying around. In the end though I am entirely at the benefit. I will move into an occupation that starts it employees at $40 at the least, $60 in other places depending on the specialization. I will be able to pay off my loans in 6 years. The grants and scholarships I will never have to pay back. It makes me wonder how many millions go unclaimed in educational assisstance. It makes me wonder even more why we let others get away with an excuse like not being able to afford something that only takes some personal effort to achieve. Has society really gone so soft? Personal education is probably the most effective investment one can make for themselves. It is certainly one of the ways to avoid joblessness in the future (so long as you make yourself aware of which professions run in the shortage). It may be wrong but I feel an entitled sense of pride in my achievement thus far. I hope it is a feeling I can hang onto as my education progresses.
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