I recently watched a news program that indicated college attendance is down from previous years due to several reasons, including the escalating cost of attendance. At the same time, attendance at trade schools is up for the same reason: cost.
Right out of high school, I started with a trade school instead of attending a college by learning the drafting trade in one year’s time. While my friends went to college, I was hired as a trainee draftsperson. Those friends, and/or their families, paid for college while I got a job in an engineering firm and was paid to learn HVAC drafting. In my mind, I justified my career course by knowing I was getting paid (not a lot) while I was learning.