Parents paying for their kids’ education might want to have a doctor nearby. On top of years of high inflation and the recent spikes in energy costs, the annual cost of an undergraduate degree is over $38,000 per year.

It’s a price worthy of a heart attack, especially with artificial intelligence ready to take so-called white-collar jobs by the thousands. And yet the way to avoid the cardiologist is one phone call away: affordable community colleges and certification programs that are right around the corner.