I can't answer for myself (I studied in India and my tuition was $100 per year which I more than recovered through participation in software competitions). My

I can't answer for myself (I studied in India and my tuition was $100 per year which I more than recovered through participation in software competitions). My girlfriend, however, studied in the US, and also had a 20K loan which she managed to pay off before graduating by working the regular 20 hours a week allowed to international students.