Here’s how delaying college may impact your future earnings

"… Now, without job prospects or travel opportunities, postponing a higher education can come at a financial cost as well as an academic one.

Historically, only 13% of college dropouts return within five years, a separate National Student Clearinghouse report found, and even fewer graduate.

‘Generally, for low- and middle-class students, once they get off the education trajectory, it’s over,’ Koh said.

Already, 3 in 10 students said they expect to earn less when they’re 35 because of the pandemic." …

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/19/heres-how-delaying-college-may-impact-your-future-earnings.html

Conflating “college dropouts” with those unable to afford school and are forced to wait a year to accrue funds seems a very odd comparison.