Congrats on working hard and making it through college and making a better life and career for yourself and family.
We have lost the idea that college students can or should work their way through college. Yes college is expensive, which is one reason why many students used to work part-time jobs while in college. Now there is an attitude that students shouldn’t be working while in college, but should be entitled to endless amounts of aid because college is costly.
You forgot to mention that college is expensive largely because of government tuition assistance, student loans, and grants. It’s similar to the housing bubble. As more government money is pumped into the colleges, tuition increases. Does it make it to the classrooms? Not from what I’ve seen.
In my opinion, many people shouldn’t even be taking college in the first place. We have become an over-credentialed society.