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A failure at a for-profit college

2-year program lasted only 2 semesters. Then all hell broke loose.

DEAR HARRY: I guess I'm the kid everyone knows who came from the hood, never got into any real trouble, tried hard to get a good education, but couldn't get into college. I'm a two-time loser, because neither my grades nor my entrance exams were good enough. The result was that I let myself get swindled into a deal with a so-called for-profit college. They showed me all kinds of numbers, pictures, testimonials and beautiful facilities together with a generous loan program that looked like one step below heaven . . . no repayments until I got my first job. Almost nothing turned out to be what they said. It was a two-year program that lasted only 2 1/2 semesters. Then all hell broke loose. The school went bust. I had no certificate and damn little education. There were no jobs in my field. I was lucky to get an entry-level job (but not what I was preparing for) a few weeks after the doors closed. Then it hit. The government started to press me to pay back the loans. I hardly have enough to make ends meet now, so how will I do this? A friend in much the same position told them he was not going to pay one dime for a nothing education, and he invited me to join a group of protesters. Should I join?

WHAT HARRY SAYS: As long as this is a peaceful group, I see every reason to join and push Congress to allow people hurt by phony colleges to get relief. Good luck!

write to him at Daily News, 801 Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19107.

Harry urges all his readers to give blood. Contact the American Red Cross at 1-800-Red Cross.