> What's the point of paying mad cash for basics of CS? just for the title? just for the diploma?

Mostly Yes. Free education has existed for a very long time through libraries and book shops, and yet the effect to get more women into high paying jobs was significant smaller compared to the mass of men who went into college and universities.

The second major effect of getting diplomas and titles is the perception of investing into that person future. A parent who invest into their child will also push that child into getting a job. Society and culture also put down expectations that a person who studied and heavily invested into a title will also end up with such job rather than settle for less.