I went to college (the first time .... ) back in the early 1980's. My parents paid $0.
Not only did my parents pay $0 I had to pay to live at home. I had to purchase my own clothes, food, do my own laundry, do chores around the house and help take care of my two younger brothers who were eight and nine years younger than I was.
I also worked four different jobs every week to pay for my college (which I commuted to every day) and pay my living expenses.
What did I learn from that? The value of hard work and perseverance. How to prioritize my time, save and spend my money wisely and learn how to do things I wouldn't have otherwise learned such as fixing my own car, learning electronics to do basic repairs (and make extra money) and most of all ... SELF RELIANCE.
Yes it took me longer to earn my first college degree but the life lessons I learned while doing it? Priceless.
I had a similar experience, but lived away from home.
My parents paid $0 towards college.
I worked 2 jobs. If I did not have the money to pay for a semester, I skipped it while working even longer hours to save up for future semesters. I also took time off to travel, which was a more valuable education than university. Obviously, it took more time to finish, but what I learned from all that was much more valuable than what I learned in college.
I was pay as you go except I took out a few small loans my last 2 semesters which I paid off within 2 years of graduating. Of course it helped that I got a good job right away.
However, I wonder if I could do that today. With price inflation in higher ed I’m not sure I would be able to manage it no matter how hard I worked.
All the government ‘help’ has made the cost of college skyrocket. I don’t think people of low to moderate income can afford to go to college now on a pay as you go basis.