...an allowance for completing them. Started mowing yards for a few bucks all through middle school and high school, then worked in real jobs the summer after I graduated. Worked my way through college with my parents not picking up any of the college cost, but I did have a place I could come home to have laundry washed and get a few home cooked meals.

Got accepted into AOCS the day I drove home from VT, but had to wait until they could get me a slot. That wait lasted about a year. I worked a manual labor job, one that I could leave on short notice until I finally had a class date, which I got the word about a week prior. My trusty Vega blew it's head gasket the week I was flying to Pensacola, so it lasted just long enough before giving up. My dad asked if I wanted him to have it fixed or sell it. I told him he could put it out to pasture for a job well done. Hopefully he was able to get a few bucks for it. But I digress...

My grades weren't quite good enough to get an academic scholarship, and I wasn't quite gifted enough to get an athletic scholarship. Was poor, but not poor enough to get any kind of grant. I guess having both parents who work put us just over that threshold. I went with the "hard work" plan, and made it through.

If I was in the same situation today, would probably do one or two years at my local community college, then do 4 years in the military to get enough money to get my BS degree.