For a long time college has been the dominant socio-economic engine for a significant chunk of the United States population.

Also for a long time we've been mired in poisonous leftist politics that have slowly chipped away at the great foundations underpinning our country. Coincidence? Think about it.

In any event, there are signs that that hegemony may, possibly, be starting to crack:

Colleges across America face a daunting challenge: Their student head count has shrunk more than 5% since 2019, according to a national estimate, as debate over the value of higher education intensified during the public health crisis and economic tumult.

That's an enrollment loss of nearly 1 million students. Some drifted out of college, while others never started. Many colleges are on an urgent quest to keep current students and recover their lost freshmen...

At stake are not only the education and career prospects of huge numbers of young adults, but also the financial health of regional colleges and universities. Once students leave, they often don't return. Gap years can become permanent.

Oh really now, "gap years can become permanent?"

Consider, meanwhile, the wisdom of some of the students deferring "higher education:"

[BreAnn] Stineman plans to take a "gap year" to work at a nursing home after graduation. High school during the pandemic, with long spells online or wearing masks, has felt grueling. For now, paychecks beckon. She wants to earn and save. "I need a break, you know?" Stineman said. "I definitely need a break. I just want to work. That's all I want to do..."

"It felt really risky," [Milia] Dawes, now 19, said of enrolling in college. "I was never really sure. You don't put that kind of money out - you don't make that kind of commitment - if you're not sure. I didn't think it was the responsible thing to do..."

"Maybe in the future, I'll take it bit by bit with online classes and do it while I'm doing hair and makeup, wherever that takes me," Dawes said. "Maybe I could get a business degree to move up in the field."

Hmm. Young adults assessing the sky-high costs of college, the apparently limited payoffs, the attraction of starting work and making money and building your career instead of taking a bunch of irrelevant classes for four years...

What is this strange, indescribable sensation I feel welling up inside me?

Go for it, kids! Make your lives extraordinary! Reject the college fallacy! You can do it!

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