<p>I come from a background where a college degree was not valued. The advice I received some 30 years ago was “get a good union job”. The primary justification was that there were “guys with a college degree working on the loading dock with the rest of the guys.” </p>
<p>My point was how many of the employees without a college degree were working in management? Maybe a couple grandfathered in, but not many. We lived on the cheap but managed to put ourselves through 4 year State schools. I recall ending up with about $6k in loans upon graduating in the mid 1980s. Given inflation, not much different from the situation outlined in the article.</p>
<p>Nothing has really changed. A college degree provides opportunity, not a guaranty. The man in this article obtained a college degree and ended up with $30k in debt. There are plenty of people his age who have a $30k loan on a car. The college degree can hold significant future value while the car slowly (or quickly) devalues. With effort, fortitude, and a bit of luck that college degree can open doors for years to come. You can get an interview while a competitor without a degree cannot.</p>
<p>You still have to show up and win the job.</p>