Well, yummyfajitas did say, "close to $0", not free. And I think you are forgetting about libraries. They offer Internet access and they are far cheaper than colleges.
Edit: In 2011, the cost for all libraries in the US was $11.5 billion.[1] In the same year, $483 billion was spent in the US on college education.[2] That's a 42x difference. Granted, the uses and use-cases are different. But anyone who can go to college can, if they have the motivation, get the same knowledge for far cheaper.
Of course (excepting a few unusual disciplines like programming), credentials help one's career more than knowledge.
Edit: In 2011, the cost for all libraries in the US was $11.5 billion.[1] In the same year, $483 billion was spent in the US on college education.[2] That's a 42x difference. Granted, the uses and use-cases are different. But anyone who can go to college can, if they have the motivation, get the same knowledge for far cheaper.
Of course (excepting a few unusual disciplines like programming), credentials help one's career more than knowledge.
1. https://www.imls.gov/assets/1/AssetManager/FY2012%20PLS_Tabl...
2. http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d12/tables/dt12_029.asp