My parents were well off but did not pay for mine. This should have never become the model. If you do not pay for it you do not value it. Other than the fact the price is totally ridiculous compared to 30+ years ago.
It took 36 credits (12 courses) to graduate, taking 3 to 4 per year.
Most people did something similar back in those days when we had a real president. If you graduated with college debt at all, it was generally in the four to low five digit range.
My parents were not well off so I paid for mine 100%, I had no other choice. I’m not sure I could do that today with the costs the way they are.
I knew a half dozen or so people in college with very well off parents whose had the same philosophy and who were paying their own way. They were very serious students.
Mine were far from well off but in those days it was almost cheaper to send me to college than keep me home. Courses were $3/hr and room and board was maybe $400/sem. I had a little $100/sem scholarship (the dept head divided his $$$ between all of us instead of picking one) and made it stretch by getting used textbooks and reselling them afterward. Of course, I had to get a part time job for spending money. Buckling down with 18-21 hrs each semester to finish in 3 years helped. These days, kids think 9 hrs a semester is all they can handle so they either have to go 5 years or they get bored and drop out. The precious little snowflakes also think they’re too good for dorms and expect daddy to fork over more than his monthly take home on a luxury apartment.