Your take is wrong.

I went to a state university, got in and the price tag was like 30k per year (half of that was form housing) Then I dropped out for like 3 years and worked the trades.

Then I Re-enrolled under my own (as not dependent) and the state paid me 10k per year in grants and working my trade job, and living on my own, I paid for the rest in cash. (It was only like 5k/yr)

Then I graduated with a degree but was making 30% more in the trades.

Liberal arts college is a waste of time - however the value of school is the connections, work experience, and resources of the college - the actual “education” is useless in lib ed out side of indoctrination.

If you think 40-100k of debt is a lot of money, you shouldn’t be going to that school or enrolling in an education program which doesn’t make it reasonable to pay that back.

People just have no concept of financial planning at that age and unfortunately a lot of parents don’t either.

All - don’t apply for loans as a dependent, if you work full time the state will grant you lots of money. Btw I’m also a white guy who doesn’t qualify for any “aid”. If I was brown, I probably would have profited off of education.