In that case nobody should ever go to college ever.
If you don't think you can get into a top school, another way to find a way up the ladder is to find a position at a top start-up you believe will lead somewhere better.
$1k/month for a year whilst building experience is a cheap way to get yourself into a position that might pay $100k/year if you work hard, especially compared to college.
Not sure why you're being downvoted. In my mind also, her early risk of a low salary is equally equatable to the up front investment of college/university.
If you don't think you can get into a top school, another way to find a way up the ladder is to find a position at a top start-up you believe will lead somewhere better.
$1k/month for a year whilst building experience is a cheap way to get yourself into a position that might pay $100k/year if you work hard, especially compared to college.
Stop blaming her. Look at how Yelp behaved.