IF you have a plan and willingness to pay them back.

When the plan is "my income should cover the cost of the education (loans)," and then the economics just aren't there, what then?

There are some people who used the 'best' available data (DOL, and other source) to make their decision, and then something changes/happens that is outside of any individual student's control. In some of these cases, the claim is made, "YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN," but this is being suggested of what was an uneducated person.

In any event, I view the major problem as being the education is not worth its cost, and there is no amount of budgeting that can solve that, other than don't accept student loans.