[growupkids]

Indeed. This is what's led to the skyrocketing costs of college degrees, the irrational belief that without one you're financially doomed. So any degree is presumed to be better than not having a degree, which is pure bunk. So everyone "knows" you have to get a degree, no matter what.

Meanwhile kids aren't told about other options or what the reality is about degrees. Trades pay very well, different degrees have a much higher likelihood of getting you a job or a better paying job, and of course only having a degree is no guarantee of even getting a job at all.

We need to reset expectations so kids don't get sucked in by the marketing machine that is today's higher education. Your masters degree in foreign languages does not guarantee you a job. Do your research and understand, really brutally understand the field you are trying to get work in. Don't listen to the hype, ask normal people in that field how they got that job and be skeptical. Find out how many people get degrees in that field annually, and how many new hits exist in that field. You might be surprised to find out it's a small field that simply doesn't support all the graduates produced, or that a degree alone won't get you that dream job.

[muzz]

I would love to see examples of this "marketing machine" you are referring to

[zo1]

Not the OP you're asking. But I'd say all sorts of politician-talk can be clumped under the marketing machine that drives perverse college incentives:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/8/obama-free-co...

#Edit. Linked article was just the first I found that looked semi-related to a big politician and college-romanticizing.

[Sir_Substance]

Assuming you're serious and not just a shill: https://youtu.be/P8pjd1QEA0c?t=420

Watch that to the end (or at least the end of the veteran benefits bit), and then get back to us.