My parents were very pragmatic people, and from a young age they warned me against the dangers of college.
It was not because they were afraid of higher education, they just understood the math of it better than I did at the time.
My teachers and counselors at school said I needed to go to college in order to find a good job. My parents showed me the numbers, about how much it cost to go to college, and how many years it would take to pay it off. Going to school so you can get a job to pay back the school seemed a little suspect to me, which is why I went into the HVAC industry instead. The math involved with going to trade school and achieving my HVAC certification made a lot more sense to me. The classes required to successfully get your HVAc certification are a small fraction of what university tuition will cost you. Once you have passed the clases, and the exam, you are qualified to work as an HVAC tech, which has a remarkably high starting salary. I am not trying to say that HVAC techs are all rich, but I will tell you that they start off making more than most teachers or cops make! Besides the good pay and benefits, jobs in the HVAC industry also have strong job security, because even as the economy falters, the industry is thriving! I am glad my parents steered me away from a life of debt, and towards trade school and a career in the HVAC industry.