[E. Pluribus Unum]

It is not possible to work your way thru college, it is just too expensive.

Yes, it is. You go to junior college for two years, and then go to a regular college for the last two, and only go when you have the tuition saved. You might not do it in four years, but being debt-free at the end is well worth the extra time.

The reason college costs have gone up 500% in thirty years is precisely because dumb young kids were willing to bury themselves in debt to pay extra tuition so the colleges could build nice new buildings and give "scholarships" to illiterate minorities.

[Dr. Sivana]

It is not possible to work your way thru college, it is just too expensive.

There are ways to reduce the load. For starters, AP tests are accepted for credits most places. CLEP is accepted at some schools.

There are also accredited institutions like Thomas Edison (NJ) and Charter Oak (CT), that allow you to bring in a potpouri of credits and bundle them for a degree. John Bear's book is useful, and he probably has a decent website these days.

[central_va]

Studying engineering IS a full time job. I worked my way thru school but my GPA suffered. I would say it is better to borrow an have a higher GPA upon graduation than zero debt. It is a tricky balancing act...