> It's more common in America only because university costs have skyrocketed in the United States to astronomical proportions. True in general, but not in the

> It's more common in America only because university costs have skyrocketed in the United States to astronomical proportions. True in general, but not in the specific. The "big name" universities, mainly private, and the UC system have become so expensive that they are out of reach for the typical working stiff with a high school diploma. That does not mean that every university, or even every university worth attending, is priced that way. Most people in the United States have access to a public university system that will offer them a bachelor's degree that can be paid for solely by working for ordinary wages over the course of 3-6 years. Many of those with good academic records would also qualify for scholarships, and from one's second year onward there are often assistantship positions (teaching, research, administrative) available that may be more convenient or lucrative than other work. Despite the doom-and-gloom you read here and pretty much everywhere else, a 17-year-old American does have choices other than an uneducated lifetime of grinding poverty or entering the workforce half a million dollars in debt.