Review by Gary Simpson. All copyrights are held by the author.

Book Review:

Students are consumers. College and university education is a big-ticket item. An article about the cost of education for the 2006/2007 school year, found on the CollegeBoard.com web site, outlines the typical costs of education in United States colleges and universities. The site indicates the average cost of tuition at four-year public colleges in the United States was $5,836 a year for the 2006/2007 school year. Students attending an out-of-state public college can expect to pay substantially higher tuition costs. The CollegeBoard.com web site states the average public college tuition fee for an out-of-state student is $9,947 for the 2006/2007 school year. The cost of tuition for a four-year private college averaged $22,218 for the 2006/2007 school year.

To get the picture of how much a college degree costs, a person needs to move beyond the figures given on the CollegeBoard.com web site. A four-year college degree a big investment. The investment over a four-year period of time, using the average tuition fees for a public college for the 2006/2007 school year is in excess of $23,000. The average tuition cost of a four year degree for an out-of-state student at a public college is in excess of $39,000. When we add the cost of transportation, housing, food, clothing, textbooks, computers, and supplies to the tuition fee, we can easily see that a four-year degree is one of the largest investments a person will make. A car, a home, and a college education are three of the largest investments a person will make in his or her life. Fortunately, a college education tends to give a high return on the investment. The web site cites the U.S. Census Bureau as stating a person with a Bachelor of Arts, or a more advanced degree, can expect to earn $1 million a year more money in his or her life than a person with a high school diploma.

A student planning on going to college or university should spend more time selecting a good college or university to attend than a person would spend researching the best car to purchase, or a good neighborhood and a good home in which to live. The importance of making an informed educational choice is very high for queer students.

Obtaining a college degree takes a lot of drive, determination, and hard work. Finishing a four year degree is difficult under the best conditions. Being in an educational environment that is safe and affirming can be an important factor in a student's educational success. This is what makes

The Advocate College Guide is an important resource for a wide range of people, including:

• The parents of gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, questioning, and trans-identified students. Should a parent suspect he or she has queer child, purchasing The Advocate College Guide might be a way to let a son or daughter feel comfortable discussing sexuality, and can help a queer student know that it is safe to be out at home.

• High school guidance counsellors, and college counsellors, or academic advisors.

• High school principals.

• School and college librarians.