This is something that irritates me to no end. There are always other options, you just have to be willing to put the work and time in to reap the rewards.
I didn't enter the military, but I still went to college. Even though I am a white broad , no one gave me money for school. I managed to get the first two years free because I went to Daley on scholarship - guess what, I was one of a few whites in the honors group that had the scholarship. The people that paid the rest of my college tuition are me, myself and I. At times I worked two jobs and I am still paying off the student loans, but there are always going to be consequences for any road one takes.
One might say, college isn't for all. What about trade schools? My fiance went to printing school (yeah, there are actual classes for that lol). A whole slew of our friends are entering the electricians school. There are always options if you are willing to look for them.