People can make a good living engaging in skilled trades without having to go through the hassle and expense of a college degree. The idea that "everyone should go to college" is of course absurd. Some people just aren't meant for it... if we were still exposing high school students to skilled trades, then maybe more of them would realize they could have a nice life without the hassle of paying back college loans.
There are ways to get through college without racking up a ton of debt. The most important factor IMO is choosing a useful major. We see so many "horror stories" of people with degrees in glorified basket-weaving with a minor in afro-womynistic studies not being able to get jobs (at least not jobs for which they need their degree) even though they did well academically.
Then there's the living arrangements. Unless you get a scholarship to some high-end out of state school, why go out of state for an education? If my plans work out as I hope they do, my children, should they choose to go to college, will be living at home, since I am already paying once for their room and board here. Why should they pay more to live on campus?
Depending on where a student lives, it is entirely possible for them to hold down some sort of part time job while they are in college. Of course this works better if you go to school in a major metro area as opposed to one in the middle of nowhere.
One word: Money. Degrees aren't created equal. My brother is an educated man with a masters in his field, but all from state U. His daughter went to an Ivy League school, and only has a BA. At 34 she was already a VP in a multinational. In his own words, "She lives a lifestyle that I could never afford to become accustomed to."
I didn't read it online, so I probably doesn't count, but the WSJ did a study and found that Ivy League grads could expect to earn close to 50% more in their lifetimes than those with comparable degrees from state universities.