The best education Wal-Mart could buy

Take Elizabeth Paige Laurie, an heiress to the Wal-Mart fortune. She not only had to go to college, she was also expected to complete coursework. So, like any enterprising spirit, she appears to have done what came naturally: hire someone to do it for her. . . . . . a former USC student came forward last week to allege that she had done all of Ms Laurie's coursework over the three and a half years of her studies. She was paid $20,000 (£10,500), she claimed. . .

Despite the extra income, Ms Martinez was unable to pay USC's tuition fees and left the college. But Ms Laurie continued to send her coursework. "In a way, it was nice," said Ms Martinez, who moved to a local community college, "because I was getting the quality education I had wanted". . .

Ms Martinez says she has learned from the episode. "I liked the classes Paige took so much I've decided to major in the same thing she did."

Posted by David on November 30, 2004 3:02 PM