I actually have a dual undergraduate degree in English and philosophy, play three instruments and have won art contests.
But I took further training in order to actually make a living, as did several of my friends who pursued the same sorts of degrees.
Yes, one should read literature, learn about art and study a musical instrument, but do not expect to make much of a living with any of that, and do not pile up hundreds and thousands of dollars of debt in order to study them.
One of my points was that one cannot obtain what I think of as higher education by your means, i.e., going to the library and taking a few courses.
The other point I was trying to make is this: while, in general, “liberal arts” degrees (with many exceptions—lots of highly-paid people on Wall Street, I understand, have them) do not have much value in today’s job market, that does not argue against people wishing to go to college to get a true education—not job training. I, too, don’t think it’s a good idea to pile up thousands of dollars in debt to do that, though.
BTW, it’s truly an “academic matter” for me since I have long ago retired, having missed all this. Lucky me.