uh, I didn't. My father spent my entire childhood laid off, laid off, and yet again laid off. He did however manage to make 9 children he could not afford and expected his sister and his brother to pay for our upbringing.
When they fell through, as a teenager, 13, I babysat and my mother stole my money I earned claiming I owed it to her. My grandmother brought groceries in , and periodically brought us big pots of cooked spaghetti and chicken for dinner. I continue to grateful to her for her love and attention.
I was forced to move out of my parents house and not contact them for a very long time cause all they wanted me for was to take the few bucks I got cleaning houses, babysitting and working on the college campus to pay my way through college. I got NO financial aid because they wanted my parents financial information and since I left and didn't want to contact them, I was on my own.
Working two jobs carrying 12 units a semester, I worked my way through community college, and the 4 year university. They did nothing to help me. The state did nothing to help me. I had to earn everything myself.
Of course I was kidding. I was the first one in my family to get a college degree, my husband put me and himself thru (altho I did get a small merit based scholarship that covered some of my tuition) and then we both put 3 sons thru college as well.
If we ever really want to be a color blind society.... well, never mind, because there are alot of people who don't really WANT that to happen.
BTW congratulations on getting thru college the hard way. I admire what you did, and I suspect you got alot more out of it than alot of kids who get it handed to them do.
susie