As someone who comes from a poor family, couldn't afford college, and went the mentor-with-free-work route instead, your comment is particularly and hilariously myopic. :)
No, it can't. For one, college has massive amount of financial aid that can come along with it.
And tell me, how did you eat while going the "mentor-with-free-work" route? How did you put a roof over your head? If the answer to those is "family", then you're not one of the people that my comment was about.
I moved into an overpriced shithole apartment at 19 while working at a NOC in the city. Before moving out, I was doing a 5hr/day commute and paid rent to my parents. Pretty sure I'm one of the people you're talking about.
Are you advocating against mentorship as a principle?
And tell me, how did you eat while going the "mentor-with-free-work" route? How did you put a roof over your head? If the answer to those is "family", then you're not one of the people that my comment was about.