College is a racket.
Been there, done that, pay out the ass and a bunch of the time teach yourself.
Stuck paying loads or taking huge debt because society tells you you won't get anywhere else wise. Can't exactly do something else for schooling so colleges can charge whatever. Gotta spend 150 buckeroos for that dogshit book.
Lending firms provide the other half of the screwing, need to get into that college and you don't have 100k because of course you don't, you're 17. So you sell yourself to the lender to be able to go to the college you have to go to in order to get that piece of paper that just exists to check boxes (for most cases, it's obvious this isn't about doctors or something specialized).
Needs to overhaul education. Rejig the curriculum, add another grade or whatever, you should be employable in softer positions out of high school.
Trades is always an important option.
Continuing education programs deserves money, like actually. I prefer the lifelong learning philosophy where learning itself is the goal and reward. Offering a cheap and easy way for the average person to fit learning into their life as a passion and less for the overpriced degree. And offer bite sized modules for a person to pick up specific skills in question, to maximize efficiency of learner time. Someone wants to pick up a skill to expand their skillset? Here you go, several month program, somewhat subsidized to give you quick and cheap learnin'.
god, why did I bother to write this