You’re right; many degrees are set up to keep unqualified students in for the whole four years. When I was in college twenty plus years ago those “students” rarely lasted past the first year. I suspect the government wants certain “preferred minorities” in college just so they defer parenthood a few years - and it seems to work to some extent.
Those basket weaving degrees will allow them to take jobs that require degrees, though: cops (in some areas), military officers, teachers...
People joke about basket-weaving classes, but I bet if you got some basket-weaving training and had some talent for it, you could probably make a pretty good living these days.