My son attended UTI in Houston. He was an Army veteran and had the GI Bill. The financial aid people insisted that he couldn't complete the program (basic automotive) without loans. They required my wife and me to co-sign even though he was independent and had a job. Now, five years after he graduated, he is back in the Army because he couldn't make a living in a Jaguar dealership shop and his loans have doubled because he is not paying them on-time.

The worst thing about what these people do is that they rope parents in as "co-borrowers." Now my wife and I are on the hook with Sallie Mae for thousands of dollars that did not benefit our son, much less us. The school lied to him and he passed the lie on to us. Now we suffer.

What these people do is fraudulent and they should stop preying on people. But as long as their advertising works and there are people out ther who want to make a living working with their hands, I guess they'll continue to be in business.

As someone who has a degree from an actual university, let me tell everyone who is considering UTI, use the money at a community college. You'll be happier, better educated and still have some money in your pocket.