However, there's nothing stopping someone from taking these courses later in life (I've known single moms working 50+ hours who make time for education "just for the sake of learning" so no excuses).

I think where we disagree is in requiring people to do one things (liberal arts learning) while their clear priority is to do something else (get a job to survive in this economy). I think that's unfair, even to college students, who can be an admittedly obnoxious bunch. Forced product bundling rarely has the effect it's intended to have. Sure, there may be some people who learn something neat from a class they're forced to take, but there are a lot more who learn nothing and are simply delayed in achieving their goals.

Why should students from poor families be forced to pay for something that economically secure college administrators insist is for their own good when all the student is trying to do is make a better living for himself than his parents had?

In that light forcing students to take these class is rather morally repugnant. It's tantamount to a tax inflicted on people to pay for more product than they want.