Indentured servants - boy we have come a long way since the 1700s /s
The reason colleges cost more today then they did up until the 1980s or so is because of third party payers.
When the student was responsible for paying for their own education it was possible to work part time, go to school, and pay for books and tuition.
Colleges knew they could only get so much money out each student and so cost were kept low because there was no choice in the matter.
Government guaranteed student loans changed the equation. Now college cost could go up and the government would gurantee payment regardless. It became a wealth transfer scheme between the middle class and the elite.
Now that the fraud of student loan is being exposed they come up with a “new idea”. Hey pilgrim, we will pay your passage to the new world but you will have to work for us for a number of years...indentured servant!
Personally I believe on line colleges will eventually become the main path to a degree. Until then, I will tell anyone young person that ask, stay away from student loans.
Personally, my parents worked and saved for me to go to college. I worked part-time through the entire 4 years it took to get my undergraduate degree. Then it flipped. While working full-time, I went to school part time for two graduate degrees. At no time was I ever in debt.
I picked reasonable schools with good reputations for turning out successful graduates. I picked fields of study that I had a knack/interest in and had good prospects for good employment. While at school, learning was job #1, not partying, not travelling, but acquiring knowledge and skills. Ok, yes, I did go to spring break once - the year *after* I graduated with my undergrad degree and before I had started my first masters program.
I also believe college is grossly over-rated. You could go to a trade school and end up with a life/career arc not significantly different from your average college grad. Maybe even better now, depending on the trade and the degree. I'm sure there are mechanics, OTR truckers, etc. doing better than some schmuck stuck in a cubicle with six figures of debt hanging over him for the next decade.