The future is expensive

I met with an admissions representative at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts today.  The facility is amazing, as one would expect.  Big kitchens, everything gleaming and shining, students in full uniforms and skullcaps with the instructors in their taller chef's hats and wonderful smells coming from the classes. 

I can attend this school if I want, I just need to apply and pay tuition.  If I maintain an appropriate grade point average I graduate and trade in the skullcap for a tall hat.  The school offers instruction in wines, ice carving, basic cookery and has a program to specialize in pastries. 

Everything anyone could want to learn.  It's a very disciplined program with a focus on technique, students are expected to have their uniforms pressed and clean every day, the instructors have an inspection before each class to check that each student is looking professional.  There are knife drills regularly, presentation is practiced in every class every day and the instructors are encouraging and constructive in their feedback.  At least, I'm told they don't go Gordon Ramsey in class. 

The program I am interested in, the Associate's Degree in Culinary Arts is only going to be offered for one more term starting in January of 2011, then it will be eliminated from the courses they offer. 

I could take classes from 6:30 in the morning to 11:30 and be done by noon or I can start classes at 5:30 in the evening, finishing up at 10:30.  Either of these slots, I could make it work.  I'd have to lean on some friends to watch Will for 2-3 hours a day and both kids during the summer.  I have to wonder if I offered to trade my homework assignments for chlid care if I'd get volunteers. 

The kicker, is how much money this 15 month of school costs.  It's a big chunk of change, almost as much as Scott made his first year in the video game industry.  There is financial aid, scholarships, grants and other assistance available, but I'd have to fill out and application before I could meet with a tuition planner.

And I have to wonder if Scott's income would put me out of the running for any of the above.  Do student lenders want to check my credit?  If so, that option goes away.

What do I do?  Do I stand on the corner with a chef hat and a sign "Trying to go to the Cordon Bleu, please help!"  Set up a creme brulee stand?  Strap a mattress to my back and stand on the street with sign that say 'curb service'?  Ask everyone in the city of Claremont California to each donate a dollar?  Start virtually panhandling on my blog? 

The first step to take is to apply and then meet with the tuition planner.  But there is a defininte possibility that this won't happen for me for a while.  I know I shouldn't be pessimistic, but the costs is prohibitive.  I don't live at home with my parents, we have a household and children and medications we need to buy. 

As positive as the visit was and as much as I'd love to go to the Cordon Bleu, I mean, my god, just to say "I'm a graduate of the Cordon Bleu"!  I need to be a grown up and prepare myself for disappointment. 

My daughter has been asking me if it's fun being a grown up.  I tell her is most of the time, but sometimes it's not so good.

Today is a not so good day.

Amanda's beauty tip of the day:  Caress makes a great body scrub that's not too harsh and leaves your skin silky soft.