Chaunte Barnes saw her future all around her.

For years, she had watched life drag one loved one after another down dark roads leading nowhere.

(ENLARGE)

Chaunte Barnes, who has defied the odds to complete course work at DeVry University, sees a better life for herself through education.

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She saw them spring forward only to fall further and further behind.

In them, she saw herself. But she wanted desperately to avoid looking over her shoulder at regret.

Education, she thought, would be the only way to avoid that fate.

She knew it wouldn't be easy. College would cost a lot of money, and she didn't have nearly enough.

Barnes got her GED and, in 1999, enrolled at Atlanta Area Technical Institute. She went to work as an electrician's apprentice at Independent Electrical Constructors, but two years later was laid off and had to drop out of school.

The Atlanta woman landed a job as a subcontractor installing cable for a local cable company. She got a second position at a fast-food restaurant, but still couldn't make ends meets.

Barnes' future was becoming clear. She hated what she saw. Four years ago, she decided to enroll at DeVry University.

She worked, qualified for three different grants and took out student loans.

When her shift changed at work, she changed her major from electronic engineering to technical management to accommodate her new hours.

Barnes had dropped out of high school. Quitting college was not an option. She had the smarts, even if she was lacking the financial resources.

"She was a very good student, very analytical," said Frank Richardson, an adjunct professor at DeVry who taught Barnes. "She was bright and had business savvy."

This month, she completed the course work required to get her bachelor of science degree from DeVry. But now money once again stands between her and her dream.

Unless she can come up with $7,210 she owes in tuition, she will not receive her diploma.

Melanie Wright, regional public relations manager for the university, said graduation candidates must fulfill all financial obligations at least 30 days before commencement.

For Barnes, that deadline has passed. She is scheduled to graduate June 22.

Barnes said she knew she owed money. She just didn't have it. And, because of bad credit, she can't take out another loan. She doesn't have family members she can turn to.

At 28, Barnes is the backbone of her family. Hers is the name on the lease for the apartment she shares with her mother and two older brothers. She's the only one who works full time.

"I take care of a lot of people," she said. "I stand alone, but I've tried to learn from the mistakes they made.''

She's had relatives addicted to crack, relatives who've spent time in jail.

She decided to break the cycle, to walk the straight and narrow.

"I knew in order to be successful, I had to continue my education," she said.

At the end of last semester, she had a 2.92 grade-point average.

Barnes was proud. She thought she'd be the first in her family to graduate from college and qualify for graduate school. She looked forward to the commencement exercises.

But until she can pay her tuition balance, Barnes can't call herself a college graduate. All she'll have is a certificate that says she's completed her course work.

She worries how long it might take to pay off the debt and how long she'll have to put her plans to go to grad school on hold. DeVry will not release her transcript until the debt is paid.

Still, Barnes said, education hasn't been a waste of time.

After all, it's kept her on the right road.

"My outlook hasn't changed," Barnes said. "It's just another obstacle that I'll have to overcome."