Bad math of parents

I read the following quote of Paul Craig Roberts with incredulity:

How much longer will parents shell out $100,000 for a college education for a son or daughter who end up employed as a bartender, waitress, or temp?

Who's the one who can't do the math? The parent or the student (or just the author?)? As a student, taking a free ride for 4 years be it 100k or 5k, is a no brainer. I'll take the free ride any day and then say, "thanks for the fun education Dad and Mom!"