Popa,
Ok, so why not a part time learner? You may have hit upon something with the seminary influence. Maybe rather than convincing them that learning is “the most important provision that needs to be provided for the family”, they convinced them that they need to marry a guy who will learn full time. That would be a much simpler and more direct answer to your shailah.
To respond to your point to HaKatan, there are other deal breakers as well, who says this one is more important than those?