Even better to go to a vocational school for a year and learn a trade. Earn your own way through college. End up with no government loans and some real world education.
Most folks can handle $15,000 to $20,000 in student loans once they’re working and a student shouldn’t have more debt than that if he’s working. We pay for our kids to go to junior college (I realize not everyone can do that), and they work and save their money during those two years for university, and continue to work once they get to university. They end up saving and paying for all of their living expenses, and leave with loans for two years of tuition. Some have money saved during high school, but each child is different, and we don’t push working during high school.
And the trades are fine; one of my kids is strongly considering a trade.