Like a snake oil salesmen, American universities send High School students glossy pamphlets full of manicured campuses and dubious quotes like “Get an Education, Accomplish your Dreams!”

For most Americans, student loans aren’t subsidized by the Government. Private banks charge interest, and the loans themselves are very difficult to defer post-graduation.

It’s a sucky situation because a lot of High School graduates who have no idea what they want to do with their lives take out terrible loans and go to a University just for the sake of going to a University.

There are alternatives. Community college for two years, or apprenticeships, or going overseas where the degrees are not overpirced. And, in North America, Canada counts as “overseas” because the costs are more reasonable

where you need one to get into your ‘professional’ trade school

By professional trade school, do you mean, like medical school and law school? Or schools that teach trade professions [electrical engineering, HVAC, carpentry, plumbing, etc.]?

NZ runs on the Scottish system. Medicine, Law, Theology Engineering… Like Nursing and Education, are batchelors degrees, with entry directly from high school or after a competitive “intermediate” year. This means that some Batchelor Degrees, such as the MB, take five or six years. But… the liberal arts need to stand on their own, as they do not get teaching time in Medicine or Law. It also means that the M.D and Ll.D are research degrees, not standard degrees.

American trade unions still have apprenticeship programs. Degrees aren’t required for those careers.

However; around 20 years ago they stopped telling High School students to pursue trades. “Get a degree!” So I don’t think many students these days realize trade apprenticeships are even an option.

Trades are needed. Trade apprenticeships — with mentoring by older men — is better for most young men than two years in a fraternity. For most young women, a degree in gentle arts is less important than learning practical skills or getting a second trade in case the marraige falls over etc. So apprenticeships for girls are useful as well. The US four year liberal degree is less useful than your appendix