In most of the US, as long as you are sufficiently academically qualified, you can go to a public university for free or nearly so. The exact standards vary by

In most of the US, as long as you are sufficiently academically qualified, you can go to a public university for free or nearly so. The exact standards vary by state, but they are not all that rigorous. The federal government on top of this provides means-tested grants to anyone regardless of academic qualifications that for poor people is likely to amount to 50-75% of public university or 100% of a two-year college. Where the US differs from a lot of European countries is a) a lot of people chase after their "dream" university, which may be private/more selective/out of state/etc and b) almost anyone can go to A university in the US, no matter how poor their grades. It just won't be free.