When i was in Highschool, a lot of kids would say they didn't give a stuff about school because "I'm not gonna be able to afford college anyway so whats the point?"
And yes, there will be people who go to college just to go, and eventually drop out. But most people drop out now because they can't afford to keep going. Student loans cause so much stress, I don't blame people who want to avoid it by avoiding college all together. If college were, like it is in so many other countries, people would be more motivated in highschool because they dont have to worry about not being able to afford it.