All levels of education have been accessible for all for a lot of decades now. And what if we got the federal government out of it entirely and let the free market work there as well? All children in all 50 states had access to tuition free schools from first grade through twelfth grade long before the federal government started meddling. And property taxes were much more reasonable so that more people could afford to live near the local school, and the schools were administered by local school boards, teachers, parents, PTA organizations, and parent booster clubs and we had the best schools in the world. Now with all that infusion of federal government money we are way down on the list in education excellence.
Colleges and universities were also much more affordable so that a lot of us were able to work and pay for our own college education without any government help at all. Private grants and endowments helped a great deal in providing scholarships for meritorious poorer students and my college gave those of us who needed it opportunity to earn some of our fees and other expenses.
One of the cruelest hoaxes imposed on the middle class is the progressive notion that if the federal government doesn't do it, it won't get done. And that somehow the money for a 'free' junior college or whatever just materializes out of thin air and doesn't impose additional hardship on an already struggling middle class.
"I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it." --Benjamin Franklin 1776
We're not talking about the great depression. A war got us out of that. There actually was not a lot of regulation after WW II until Johnson came along.
We are talking about education and the effect of government on education.
Diversion is another liberal tactic. Lose the battle, change the war.