This is why I wrote about Pell Grants of $5,500 covering more than actual tuition at American state schools. Then the student loan and work study cover living expenses and student incidentals.

Net result is that you receive an education valued at $80,000. You don't pay anything for it. The Pell Grant takes care of $20,000 of that education (assuming graduation in 4 years), and the taxpayers pick up the remaining $60,000. Then, you also earned $40,000 (4 years of part-time and summer work) and took out a loan of $20,000 ($5,000 a year) for a total of $60,000 on which to live. $15,000 a year for food, housing, books, etc.

People always mention that you would be working full-time and earning more if you didn't go to school, but what isn't mentioned is that in the USA, jobs that do not require college degrees pay on average $15,000 less a year ($49,000 for college grads and $34,000 for non-college grads).