There isn’t a homeless problem in Bnei Brak nor is the cemetery being filled with folks who starved to death. Lower living standards? Yes. That’s what the RY said, in fact, people should accept. Almost all, if not all, the problems the RY listed with college would be applicable in the U.S. as well. He doesn’t exclude frum colleges, though notes additional pitfalls in secular colleges. Hishtadlus does not demand college and there are other forms of hishtadlus available. If anyone thinks putting themselves in a spiritually unsound environment will not have lasting effects on themselves, they’re probably fooling only themselves.
Anyways, I counted up the votes above and, clearly, the RY is outvoted by far. Since as we all know we go by the majority, we should start doling out free scholarships to Harvard. Yeshiva guys who go to Harvard don’t come out any less ruchniyus than yeshiva guys who instead of going to college, say, run a seforim store for parnassa.