College debt is destroying a generation of young Americans.
Students graduate with mountains of loans and degrees that don't lead to good jobs.
But Florida just proved the college scam wrong with these numbers that have Democrats fuming.
DeSantis built an alternative to the college debt trap
Florida's apprenticeship system just hit record numbers that should have every state paying attention.
More than 25,000 apprentices and preapprentices are now active across Florida.
Over 2,200 apprentices completed their programs last year earning an average of nearly $28 per hour — that's about $58,000 a year — without a penny of student debt.
The state added 43 new apprenticeship programs in just one year bringing the total to 344 active programs teaching real skills for high-demand jobs.
Florida's Department of Education released the numbers during Workforce Day at the Capitol.
Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas credited Governor Ron DeSantis' focus on career and technical education instead of pushing every kid toward a four-year degree.
"These record apprenticeship and preapprenticeship numbers reflect the incredible success of Florida's approach to workforce education," Kamoutsas said. "Governor DeSantis' vision for expanding career and technical education has created life-changing opportunities for Floridians to learn, earn and advance in high-demand industries."
https://twitter.com/StasiKamoutsas/status/2016241359238177188?s=20
Since DeSantis took office, Florida has seen a 70% increase in registered apprentices and a 112% increase in preapprenticeship programs.
The number of apprenticeable occupations has grown by more than 150%.
These aren't just numbers on a spreadsheet — they're young people building careers without drowning in debt.
The college lie crashes into reality
Compare Florida's success to the national student debt crisis.
Americans owe $1.7 trillion in student loans — that's trillion with a T.
The average borrower carries more than $37,000 in debt.
Student debt in the United States is growing six times faster than the economy.
Many graduates can't find jobs in their field and end up working multiple jobs just to make loan payments.
They delay buying homes, getting married, and having children because of debt they took on at 18 years old.
Meanwhile, Florida's apprentices are earning $58,000 right out of the gate with zero debt.
They're learning skills employers actually need instead of sitting through gender studies lectures.
The Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant program has awarded $105 million to fund these programs serving over 20,000 participants.
That money is creating real opportunities instead of subsidizing bloated university bureaucracies.
Florida is proving you don't need a four-year degree and six-figure debt to build a good life.
Here's what has the Left squirming
You know why Democrats can't stand Florida's apprenticeship success?
It cuts their entire racket out at the knees.
The whole college-for-everyone scam depends on kids believing there's no other path to a decent life.
So universities keep jacking up prices while cranking out useless degrees, and students keep signing loan papers they don't understand.
Biden spent four years trying to cancel student debt and shift the bill to taxpayers.
The Supreme Court called it what it was — unconstitutional vote-buying with other people's money.
But notice what Biden never did?
He never once tried to stop colleges from charging $80,000 a year for a sociology degree.
He never went after the bloated administrator class pulling six-figure salaries while adjunct professors made poverty wages.
He just wanted to make taxpayers cover the tab and call it "helping young people."
DeSantis took the money Florida would've wasted on that garbage and put it into programs teaching actual skills.
Welding, healthcare, construction, IT — jobs that pay well and can't be outsourced.
The apprentices get paid while they learn instead of paying some university to lecture them about microaggressions.
And here's the part that really burns the Left up.
These kids don't need the government to rescue them because they never needed rescuing in the first place.
They took a different path and it worked.
No student loan forgiveness rallies.
No crying about unfair debt.
Just people earning good money doing work that matters.
That's a threat to the whole Democrat playbook because it proves their education agenda isn't about helping anyone.
It's about keeping people dependent on government programs and university indoctrination.
Florida just showed there's another way and the results speak for themselves.
Sources:
- Elizabeth Borodulin, "Florida sees record surge in apprenticeships, thousands complete training," Alachua Chronicle, January 27, 2026.
- Florida Department of Education, "Florida celebrates record growth in apprenticeship and preapprenticeship programs," FLDOE Press Release, January 27, 2026.
