I think college should be free, but even with the current system it is still a good option if you do it right!!

I went to community college then transfered. I saved a ton of money that way. I also got a lot of government financial aid from both the federal government (Pell Grant) and the state of California (Cal Grant). These paid for the majority of my tuition.

I still had to take out some loans and worked part time all through college. But my debt was relatively low and I was able to pay it off quickly. Just want to share this because not everyone knows about all the financial aid that is available in the form of grants and scholarships. You don't have to go into debt 6 figures to get a college degree.