"I'm good enough to go to my dream school, but I can't pay for it." That is the lament of one of the six students profiled recently on National Public Radio's All Things Considered, as they take their 'Faces of the New Economy' series to Fairfax High School in northern Virginia. The students, in their own words, discuss the challenges of both finding and paying for college—one has a parent with three jobs (which puts food on the table, but also puts her over the financial aid limit for many schools); one hoped to receive a swimming scholarship and found the competition tougher than expected; one is pondering the military as a way of paying for school without taking out loans.

It's a brief piece, but a worthwhile listen for anyone who's looking at higher education for themselves or their children. You can check out the episode here.