gavra, your quote: ‘OURtorah, a maamin believes that Hashem gives what he wants us to have, regardless of hishtadlus. Nevertheless, hishtadlus is a chiyuv.’
A huge Machlokes in Machshava, and certainly not pashut. Certainly here, where many would say that not getting an education nowadays is Atzlus and a choice not to do appropriate Hishtadlus, it is much less Pashut.
My take: to chalk up the decision a yungerman makes not to pursue a higher education to atzlus is wrong.
Besides, this entire conversation is basically moot, because studies show that the salary/income gap between those who have degrees and those who do not is closing steadily.