I have a somewhat different perspective on this. I'm a recruiting manager for a large high tech company.

"Why not Art History? If she loves it and she is dedicated to it and in bliss when she's both learning about it and contemplating it, then why the fuck not?? "

My response is that it is not a serious major that leads to a productive job. Like it or not we can't all be in bliss. Someone has to do the actual work in the world. I do alot of college recruiting and it is endlessly frustrating to interview hundereds of graduating seniors and only a handful have pursued useful majors. Even those majors that used to be a solid source of great workers like Business Adminsitration are getting worse because students today avoid the most useful courses like accounting, finance, and economics like the plague. Then I have to stare into the eyes of dozens and dozens of marketing majors and tell them there are no jobs for them. We are suffering economically in this country because students won't take math and science and finance. They won't take the courses that industry needs them to take. We are already turning out way too many art history majors. It's time to start taking education seriously instead of seeing it as some pathway to spiritual exploraton and bliss. I fear for the future of this country if we don't.

My personal solution is to offer large grants to students taking classes in the sciences and no economic aid at all to those in the humanities.