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No, she hasn't receive any sort of government assistance. She has worked at a public hospital as one of her jobs, but the key word there is *worked*. It doesn't pay well, is hard, and the hours have been bad sometimes, but it gives her needed experience and she has enjoyed it.

She has received merit scholarships which almost completely paid for her tuition, books, etc. She paid a substantial amount of the remaining herself, and we happily picked up the rest. She is responsible, mature, and is thankful and grateful for what she has. She is in no way expectant or demanding.

She plans to work her way through graduate school, which is what her dad did. He completed his degrees with no debt or loans.

I understand where you are coming from, though. I don't want to reward irresponsibility, and think that people who are dependent on the government to a great degree probably don't possess the skills needed to make good judgments. I'm bothered by the way the system is structured, too. The government seems Hellbent on "helping" people who show no responsibility and punishing people who are responsible by making them pay taxes to finance the first group.

Being responsible and self-sufficient is its own reward, though, which is what we try to instill in the kids. Being dependent means a person can never truly be an adult. They owe everything to the largess of others and will never be able to call themselves free.