Could it be that in the past, aptitude was the most clear distinction between college-goers and everyone else, while now anyone that can remotely afford it beco

Could it be that in the past, aptitude was the most clear distinction between college-goers and everyone else, while now anyone that can remotely afford it becomes a college-goer, regardless of aptitude? This explanation would require intelligence to not be too sensitive to income, which might be a false assumption.