When Life Gets in the Way of Paying for College. (cover story)

The article presents a profile of the family of college student Diane Schillinger and chronicles their struggles in finding ways to pay for her freshman year of college at the University of Massachusetts. It explores how the job loss of parents Pat and Mark have contributed to problems in applying for U.S. federal student and parent loans, examines how medical expenses and the purchase of a second home have led to financial problems for the family, and presents a chart of student debt that the family's five children have to pay off.