"But you have to participate in this scam in order to have a chance of a decent job--that is why this scam continues (there is no reason why it costs so much to get information that one could get online for less than 10% of the cost, if not for free, aside from showing employers that you will not challenge the status quo)."
I agree. It seems that the gate keeping employment trolls have made a college education the toll or price to be paid to get certain employment. It keeps them in power and provides themselves continual employment . The exceptions are some of the most successful computer based businesses in the last 30 years have challenged their lie, but ultimately ended up feeding more college entrants.
I had a teacher in an intro economics class for seniors in high school, (I was a Freshman) say, "You may get an education, in spite of the educational system." Life is a learning experience, not just two, four, or twelve years. I learn something every day through a wide range of inputs.
My Father was opposed to my going to college because he knew that I could make a good living without the debt associated with further education. He was correct.
However, even the most basic university courses have projects that make you write creatively. Writing about any subject makes you do research. There's a connection of the personal research done, making sure that it is from accredited sources, and your drawing your own conclusions and arguing them on paper, that you realize that you could argue either side.
Once you realize that you could argue a number of ways on the assigned subject, and that you have to rebut at least some of the opposing ideas, it doesn't take long for you to realize this about any topic, and then the WTBTS's arguments situated on a house of cards deteriorate and collapse.
I am totally committed to getting an education but there is a variety of ways to attain one. The most vital education is one that protects you from hustlers like the WTBTS selling their snake oil that doesn't just take your money, but imprisons your soul and takes your family as hostage to make sure you keep enslavement to an elite few.
The monetary expense to realize that WTBTS is full of it: Priceless.