College is necessary? Maybe. Post secondary education is necessary. Working and attending part time may be another path. Apprenticeship in a trade may be a good option, too. Get paid to help construct all those expensive campus attractions! Our elementary school and secondary schools must, above all, teach students to learn how to learn. Some facts, procedures and standards must be retained in memory, ready for application. Evaluating arguments for use of logic, fact and informed opinion is another essential skill. Unless High School graduates enter the adult world with adequate knowledge and skills, college will be a waste of time and money. Four years of room and board on loans that take 20 years to repay is not what we expected. College graduates who are competent in their fields of study deserve employment with salaries that will enable them to repay loans within five years. Too many students seem to be going through the motions, getting credits, but are not prepared to advance in their careers, or participate as active citizens of their communities. A diploma or a degree should serve as evidence of adequate preparation for the next stage of life, but it is not a magic golden ticket. Didn't anyone help them understand those expectations?