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Notes -
I am not at all convinced that this is the case. College remains a good deal even if you take out loans.
And more to the point, if you live with your parents, go to community college, and commute to local state school #57 afterwards, college leaves only a very manageable loan from undergrad. For most career tracks requiring only undergrad, a fancier and more prestigious diploma doesn’t help much. I think the rephrase is ‘many parents struggle to subsidize their children’s middle class expected lifestyle while also setting them up for middle class prospects’.
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