A university education from a "cheap" school in the US can leave you in debt til your 50s if you're lucky. There are no free or cheap options, joining the military, getting good grades and/or or getting a sports scholarship are about the only ways for poor people to get a higher education. It is still part of our culture that higher education is a privilege and not a right, and I couldn't disagree more, but that 's just another example of why I left the USA.
At least in India they acknowledge their caste system, but in many countries like the USA, a caste system exists which is never spoken about or acknowledged. I almost had a scholarship for soccer to Australia, but something in my heart changed, and I decided not to the typical university-career-retirement life. It has come with great hardship, but I ultimately have no regrets.