College enrollment typically rises during recessions. This paper demonstrates that housing wealth destruction dampened this countercyclical effect in areas most affected by the U.S. housing bust of 2008-2011. By combining household data with a mortgage credit register and housing price data, we reveal that rising household leverage significantly reduced college enrollment among homeowners relative to renters during this period. Up to 2\% of the local college-age population did not pursue college enrollment at the height of the bust due to these housing frictions. The negative impact of homeownership on college education persists for a decade, ultimately contributing to lower incomes among homeowners in the most affected areas.