Public universities were cheaper then as compared to incomes. At least partially due to (zOMFG!) … taxpayer support.

Was your stepfather a single parent when he was going to school? Were your cow-orkers single parents, or did they have a spouse to share responsibilities with?

Also, during your stepfather’s time, it was easier to get a decent job without a college degree in the first place. He was probably a union factory worker at Rockwell, not a Mickey Dee’s fry cook.