We have an unusual phenomenon where we tend to only value things that have a price. The higher the price the more it holds value. That is why public libraries have so little utility despite offering an unlimited potential in value. It is also why we feel the need to go back to school rather than seek out furthering our knowledge in more practical ways. And why employers and human resources rely so much on outdated resumes and tend to select job candidates by prestige of alma mater and past employers rather than potential .
People who do home study in their own time rarely stay at the bottom for very long. In a short period of time they build the attributes and technical skills necessary to become experts in their fields and industry leaders. Below is a list of free resources for learning in your own time.
List of free resources:
Khan academy
Udemy
YouTube
Wikipedia
Public library
What you learn isn’t nearly as important as learning every day. Make a daily practice, learn something new every day. I recommend you get paid to learn. Read What is the TRUE price and Return on learning a new skill?