College was not on the radar for Eric Bihembo. While growing up in Nashville, Tennessee, he didn't think he could ever afford it. In high school, he was working at a pizza parlor when his guidance counselor first told him about Tennessee's new free community college program.

The opportunity changed his life.

Since Tennessee began offering free community college to new high school graduates in 2014, nearly 88,000 new students have enrolled. Meanwhile, the percentage of residents with a college degree or certificate has risen from 36 percent to 43 percent. 

By the time Rodrigo Chinchon decided to change his major from architecture, he was two years into college and 15 credits behind what he would need for his new choice: international business.

It will take Chinchon an extra semester to earn his degree, and that’s even after he took courses in the summers to catch up. Many other students in his position just drop out.

For generations of young people, going off to college was a step toward independence. But for this generation, a surprising new problem is thwarting their success: too many choices.