The down side of this is that most kids are spending money they don't actually have - the loans are for college only, so investing it isn't an option. I'm pers

The down side of this is that most kids are spending money they don't actually have - the loans are for college only, so investing it isn't an option. I'm personally very grateful that I was able to graduate without any debt. Things that helped me included: * Starting at a community college (2 years @ ~$3k/yr) then switching to a state school (3 years @ ~$10k/yr) * Grants and scholarships that paid for around 1/3 of my costs * Money from my parents (~$2k) * Freelancing at $45/hr+ * Getting married (because the government stopped counting my parents money against me, and so I was eligible for more grant money)