The article originally appeared in Hebrew in the Yated Ne’eman. I think it provides a frank observation of the potential dangers of attending even a frum college.
Nonetheless, there are potential dangers of living a life of poverty.
As a generalization, it appears that the Modern Orthodox world denies the dangers involved in attending higher education; in contrast, the Chareidi world seems to deny the effects of poverty and lack of marketable job skills among men.
Perhaps some have gone off the derech after attending college. But we are also aware of kids going off the derech growing up in Chareidi homes with limited exposure to the secular world.
And there is no mitzvah in the Torah to be poor. In fact, there is a mitzvah for a father to teach his son a profession.
With all our wonderful emunah in Torah society, there are plenty of poor children who grow up malnourished. Whose fault is that?