Image by Cole Keister.

Education was sold as a guarantee for decades. A college degree represented stability and a future for those who followed the rules of a country that claims to reward preparation. That promise has collapsed under the weight of debt and a labor market where software can eliminate entire careers instantly.

The system encouraged people to invest in themselves. Borrowers took on debt they could never reasonably repay while working through school and completing unpaid internships to stack credentials. They eventually entered an economy that treats them as surplus inventory.

Higher education has become a trap that locks people into debt before they earn a stable income. Many twenty-two-year-olds begin adult life underwater because they followed the only roadmap provided by established institutions.

The failure of the system is evident in the results that degrees deliver. Graduates enter jobs that pay less than rent and compete for positions without benefits or growth. Wage ceilings have

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