career decisions help!

well, first i want to thank you all for opening yourselves up to the world! as for my question, hopefully many of you can help guide me! my passion is cooking. i love all the smells and beauty, and the hands on of it all mixed with oraganization and efficiency. it seems the perfect career for my personality. my problem is this: i am looking at my last 9 months of a military job. it will be the end of 5 years of steady and not too bad income. i am married, and my husband is staying in the military for a while. my problem comes in with giving up a great paying job and actually doing something i have a passion for! go figure! i am scared to death of scraping by after i graduate. it would be different if i were single. i will be going to the pennsylvania college of technology for a ba in culinary arts. they have an internship every summer for the 4 years, but i have no idea what kind of income i can expect to look at when i start out. i know this probably isn't a job you should guage by money, if you love it, do it! but i can't afford to leave my fam in the dust! if anyone can offer some guidance as to how to manage a young career that starts at the bottom and also balance a family, i would love to hear it!

I hope you know it will be not a easy , not only the finance but also the working hour you have to do . Wen you have it in your blood go for it. I am 30 years in it traveled the world .
PS.In Australi the Goverment give you some asistence maybe in the US it is the same.
Good Luck