In my family there was one cardinal priority - education. College was not an option it was mandatory. So even though we didn't have a lot of money we made it work. I signed up for financial aid Pell Grants work study anything I could.

Now the main areas of higher education that still enjoy considerable financial support from government are subjects like engineering and science and the research ringfence which is the basic minimum to protect Britain's scientific competitiveness.

Our youth deserve the opportunity to complete their high school and college education free of early parenthood. Their future children deserve the opportunity to grow up in financially and emotionally stable homes. Our communities benefit from healthy productive well-prepared young people.

Financial literacy is an issue that should command our attention because many Americans are not adequately organizing finances for their education healthcare and retirement.

Academic qualifications are important and so is financial education. They're both important and schools are forgetting one of them.

I've succeeded beyond my wildest dreams - financially and the amount of fun I have in my life.

I was so lucky to have parents who supported me 100% with whatever I was doing both financially and emotionally. Having that they made my life so much easier. Instead of becoming a bartender and trying to survive while trying to pursue your dreams I didn't have to worry about that aspect. I could just pursue my dreams.

So many financial dreams are thwarted by the failure to act upon good intentions.

Through all aspects of society be it art design the financial markets government technology or communications we are witnessing unprecedented global transformation - the result of which is impossible to predict.

The architect Peter Arens who is the monstrous carbuncle architect not merely did his design which had won a public competition never get built but his practice suffered financially for some years.