Yes oomis1105-
That is exactly what I mean. If a family or child decides that getting a secular education is not for them, then that child grows up, marries, has ten or eleven children and then guess what, it is time to marry them off and he has all these debts. Then they have to go door to door collecting. Why anyone would want to chose to be in such a position is beyond me. A Rov from Israel that learns in the Meir told my husband he has never before seen so many people coming to the Meir asking for Tzaddakah. The situation for people in learning is horrible. We just gave $500 to a friend of ours who is collecting for a Talmid Chochum who has a child to marry off in terrible situation, but that is just a drop in the bucket for these people whose need is so great. And the yidden in America have lost their jobs and have their own financial crisis.
I thought it is a mitzvah to teach your son a trade, just like you are supposed to teach him how to swim. It is not fair to teach them how to be a shnorer. I am only hoping I should never be in that position!