You're a "big-picture" person. You're interested in food, but you're more interested in the greengrocer who's selling it, the chef who's preparing it, the customer who's ordering it - and the computer program that brings them all together. You're the person looking for a degree in Culinary Management.

What's out there that's going to move you ahead of the gang that's shuffling around the bottom of the career ladder? And can you afford whatever it is?

The degree you need is one that marches boldly through the kitchen - picking up a few skills along the way, just in case your sous chef is a no-show on the busiest night of the year - and heads straight for the manager's office. It's the certificate, associate degree or bachelor's degree curriculum that includes menu planning, budgeting, scheduling, personnel management, regulatory issues, restaurant law and more.

You can afford it, but it takes planning and determination. An applicant must have a high school diploma or GED, and must be admitted to a post-secondary school. That school's financial aid office will steer you toward loans and scholarships. Le Cordon Bleu, for example, is "...committed to helping each student identify realistic goals for financing their education. Financial aid is available to those who qualify. Tuition planning assistance is available for all students." Other schools are just as supportive and knowledgeable.

You must complete all of the applications, and complete them in a timely manner. In many cases, you don't have to be impoverished to qualify for help, but you do have to be registered at your school of choice.

"Our awards are not necessarily need-based," says Anne Byrd, Treasurer of the Board of Trustees of the James Beard Foundation, an organization whose scholarship awards topped $320,000 in 2003. "Our applicants may be 45 or 50 years old. Many are experienced. But they do have to be accepted by a school. We send the money directly to the school, so if the applicant isn't registered there, we won't send it."

Scholarship and loan amounts differ, but given today's tuition, a single award will rarely be enough to pay the bills. You will probably need to apply to multiple sources. Financial aid ranges from standard government loans, the same ones that would fund other courses at accredited colleges, to academic scholarships from a wide variety of sources. Don't overlook a group like the James Beard Foundation because of the "chef" connotation. This foundation alone administers dozens of awards donated by specific schools and applicable to those schools only; sundry scholarships funded by the Friends of James Beard; and a large number of $1000 cash scholarships (the number varies each year) funded by the foundation itself. Many of their awards may be applied to restaurant and hospitality management programs.

Other professional organizations that offers support for the prospective restaurant owner or manager is the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the educational arm of the National Restaurant Association. The NRAEF offers "academic scholarships for high-school seniors who demonstrate a commitment to both post-secondary restaurant/food service education and an industry career."

Finally, the Internet contains a wealth of information about restaurant schools, fees and financial aid, including downloadable applications to speed the process along. It lists hundreds of schools and allows quick comparisons. Selecting the school for you -- and figuring out how to pay for it -- can be a challenge but it pays off.

"There's always a way to finance school," says Meagan Kirby, Director of Student Management at CHIC, the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago. "Start researching early, and don't give up. You have dreamt about doing this. Keep your dream in sight!"

For a detailed description of a restaurant manager's job check out Food Service Managers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.