Is college for everyone?  As a society, the answer is "yes, as long as you can find some way to afford it".  But what happens at college?  Students are educated in many areas, but how much do they learn?

College advocates argue that a liberal arts education, while perhaps not directly relevant, will always provide a good foundation because students will "learn how to learn". Such a rationale is beside the point.  While they may learn to learn by taking a liberal arts education, could they not also do so by many other less expensive means?  Indeed, much of what college students pick up on the side such as dealing with people of different cultures and backgrounds can be picked up by simply working a job where one deals with the public, such as the food-service industry.  The same can be said for responsibility, accountability, and others.  In this case, the subject is being paid for learning, not going into debt.

A college degree is overrated at best.  Most true learning that does take place at college is on the students' own time.  While some professors may offer question and answer times, most lecture during class and expect the students to manage their incomprehension by means of studying or by a volunteer tutor.  So, a degree from a college says only that a student has been able to teach himself what he was expected to learn.

While some students may require such a structured program to learn, many do not. Consider the would-be student who does not like school.  He is not necessarily lazy, but he is interested in practical application of what he learns, and he is interested in one particular area.  Students like this commonly have remarks such as "he is not working to his ability" made about them in high school, and few go on to college.  Of those that do go to college, most will drop out. Why have they seemed so uninterested in "their studies"?  Often, they are busy learning about something that IS relevant on their own, and between providing the means to pursue it (working) and pursuing it, they have little time left for being "educated".

"Such people do not belong in college" would be the common response.  Of course, then society will downplay their skills, or otherwise underpay them forever simply because they are good independent self-motivated learners who found a better way than "the system" to learn.

College has distorted true learning terribly.  When asked what a student's goals are in high school, students respond with what college they wish to attend.  College simply extends the required education period mandated by the government while accomplishing little or no more than a good high school/trade school combination in many career paths.

Why should anyone's goal be school?  Of course we are always learning, but, after basic skills are acquired, is school the most efficient way to learn anything?  Indeed, most college graduates do not end up with a job in their major, and liberal arts supporters will argue their case using this. What is really significant, however, is that these people are TRAINED by the employer for the position, and they use the college degree as a sort of elimination factor before any real screening takes place. It is a falacy that a student can walk out of college prepared to handle any job, reguardless of his major, yet that is exactly what liberal arts supporters are suggesting. (Being too well-rounded is pointless.)

College tuition is another factor that prevents many from attending. These "nonprofit institutions" are second only to the Federal government for wasting money.  As is noted above, little is done at college by the colleges that justifies such astronomical tuition rates. More class time is spent by the average high school student than college students.  Is that not what we are paying for?  Colleges will scream "we have better facilities", but such expenses are nominal compared with the sum of only a few students' tuitions, especially since much of the money for new facilities comes by way of donation or by government grants.  What then is the tuition money for?  No answer that would satisfy those who pay the tuition can be given.

But that is only half of it. Since most students (read: their parents) cannot afford college, the government gives them the money.  Of course, these are only the poor families. Those students who have been industrious by working on their own are penalized for doing so by not getting as much or any help. They are either forced into debt over college from the government "aid" in the form of loans, or they must attempt to work their way through, which is increasingly impossible.

College becomes yet another way for the government to attempt to "equalize" the population, in accordance with their socialistic perspective on everything.  College takes money from the rich, gives money to the poor, and keeps the middle class working harder and harder. Since the government feeds this corrupt system, tuition will continue to skyrocket and the true purpose of college will continue to diminish.

The more employers hire by degree instead of by qualification, the more of our heritage we wash down the drain.  Instead of finding one's own way to success, Americans are forced into the "system" if they hope to accomplish anything, or so they are taught by their school and their parents.