The College Scam

[rachel83az]

Another good reason, IMO, why university should be free. I don't think it'll lead to "everyone" getting a degree, as some people claim. In countries where university is free, attendance of post-secondary institutions typically ranges between 20-30%, with some of that being trade schools, etc. I don't have any specific citations, but it seems to me that university attendance is largely self-sorting in those countries. For the most part, the intelligent students who should go to university won't face any economic barriers to doing so. On the other hand, the less mentally-talented simply won't be able to find a place at a university and will need to seek other avenues.

There are some problems I take issue with in some of these countries (like your academic future being largely decided when you've barely hit your teens), but at least students who "should" be going to university aren't constrained by the same economic issues as their American peers.

Of course, as long as "having a degree" is equated with "living wage" (not even high wage, but just enough to live on) in the US, people are going to continue to strive for degrees that maybe aren't right for them and their needs otherwise. The problem isn't (just) the high cost of a degree. The problem is not paying people what they're worth, degree or no degree.

Trades are a good option for some people, but just as not everyone should go to college, not everyone should go into trades.