No big deal.
Our family did the same thing: If you want to go to college, you find a way to pay for college.
My older brother worked stores (grocery and retail) and got a Physics scholarship.
I competed in academic and math and science competitions in high school, and won two 1 year scholarships and a NROTC 4-year scholarship. (Wasn’t good/fast enough to get any athletic scholarships! Had to compete in math/science/SAT’s.)
My younger brother went to work, got his degrees later.
My other brother earned a Air Force ROTC 4 year scholership.
My youngest brother earned a USNA appointment.
My sisters earned their by working, by going to their schools part-time.
I’m the youngest of seven. I joined the military out of high school and got my associate’s while in. Before getting out I transferred one year of my educational benefits to three of my children (the other two were too old). That leaves me with one year of free college. I thought about going to school again but don’t know if I could stomach the liberalism on campus. I know I’d give the lib professors a hell of a time.
My parents have saved for our children’s college education. They can afford it. Mom still expects that the children will economize by starting at community college, pursue scholarships, and look for work.
My parents had 10 kids and could not afford to pay for anyone’s college. Out of the 10, seven graduated with some level of college - two have their masters and three have their bachelors. All of us who went to college began at a community college and saved for a good share of the rest of it and a few of us got scholarships.
Or go back in time when tuition was affordable! lol
I attended the Univ of Ark (state school) in 1977 and the tuition was $470 a year. Room and board weren’t too bad. Heck, back then books cost more than anything.