Those people are also the ones who would benefit most from higher education. They are learning and doing new things because they are genuinely interested in it.

Those people are also the ones who would benefit most from higher education. They are learning and doing new things because they are genuinely interested in it. A good university would give them a chance to spend a few years exploring the possibilities without the pressure to do something immediately productive. They would learn from experts, find new interests, and work with peers with similar interests. Any job a bright self-taught recent high school graduate can get is likely a job they should not take. Many bright young people turn bitter and disillusioned, because they made the easy choice when they got an offer for a real job. The job may very well be a local optimum with no good way forward. Because they are too focused on short-term goals, they may never get a chance to stop and think what to do with their lives. The academia has a similar trap further on the road: grad school. If you are a good student who is genuinely interested in learning for the sake of learning, grad school looks like the obvious step forward. For many, it will be the wrong choice.