OP could also move in any of the many countries with free college and study there. When I was studying college, there were many students from less developed countries and had no problem getting into college. Lot's of people in general study abroad.

In addition, there are also companies which will pay for a college education, on the proviso that you work for them after completing your studies for X years (if you leave prematurely then you are required to reimburse the cost of the studies). I think this would be a good point 4.

Does there come a point where your parents' income is no longer considered for the financial aid assessment? If so waiting for that point could also be part of option 3.

Option 4): go to college in a different country. For example Germany is a lot cheaper and there are many programs taught in English.

Postsecondary education can be either an investment or a luxury. For people of means the outcome and content are irrelevant - it's an expensive socializing vacation with some marginal fringe benefits. For everyone else, it really needs to be a business decision. Taking a loan can make sense if there is a reasonable expectation that sufficiently high-paying work will be made accessible through having said education to offset the cost of the loan and lead to higher earning power in the future. OP just needs to be sure that they have a plan, the skills, and determination to pay that loan back.

@hilmar Brazil offers full scholarship in some public-funded universities, but there is an entrance exam. OP can check with the Brazilian embassy for more details.

Shouldn't option zero in your list be choose an inexpensive school? Many states in the US have state-supported higher ed that's significantly cheaper than private schools. Or sometimes free, for residents.

"A subset of this is to enlist in the military" - A significant con of this approach is that you may get shipped off to an overseas warzone where you'll be killed or maimed, and you won't have any say in that decision once you've enlisted. The drawbacks should be noted alongside the benefits. The National Guard should be fairly safe; other branches, not so much.

@Hilmar: in fact, I read of programs in ten countries that are “free” even to foreigners. But “free” is in quotes, because most don’t pay for your food and bed, nor help you prove you have enough income/means to get a visa.

option 4) night classes and pay as you go. Some online options like wgu.edu are "affordable" (online and $3k for 6/months - and you can get a degree as fast as you can complete the classes)

@ventsyv, There are many active insurgent groups fighting in various countries that we have troops in. The Navy is under constant threat of attack in the middle east and recently from Russian fighter jets (not to mention training accidents). I agree the Air Force is a relatively safe option as the National Guard deploys as part of the regular Army. I think a military option is worthwhile (I was in the USMC) and can help give valuable life experiences you would not get as a civilian.

@dwizum public universities are generally no longer cheap enough for a student to pay for without assistance.

Go to a trade school or go into the air-force/coast guard to learn some skills(not the other branches). Unless you REALLY know what you want to do for a career, DO NOT go into debt by going to college. And even then, do everything possible to take out as few student loans as possible. Debt completely ruins people's lives.

@arp that's going to depend on the state - in NY, they're free below a certain income threshold, and very, very cheap (compared to private schools) above that threshold. Even if you still need assistance, there's a difference between needing assistance to pay $15k vs needing assistance to pay $80k. If you are financially burdened, it seems foolish to focus only on aid, loans, and whether or not your parents will contribute, while potentially ignoring that kind of sticker cost difference.

You can work part time while you go to school, and work summers FWIW...

@Tomáš Zato (and others): I think the cost of moving to another country and supporting yourself through four years of "free" college would greatly exceed the cost of tuition at a US state university. (While I didn't attend college in Europe, I worked at a couple of university-connected research projects there, and the cost of living was not cheap.) Unless the OP can get something like a Rhodes scholarship, I really doubt this is possible.

@aroth: Whether the possibility of getting shipped to an active war zone is a drawback or a positive is entirely a matter of one's personal outlook on life. I thought I had covered this under "learn some useful skills" :-)

@Kialandei While that is true, these organizations usually require a sponsor (basically someone to co-sign on your educational loan), and they are almost always the parents. They also generally are relatively sought after and therefore have high barriers to entry.

@TomášZato Most countries with publicly paid university education only pay it for residents (or EU residents in case of EU countries), and even those who don't, to get a visa you'll need to show you can financially support yourself, which for OP will be difficult.

Would getting emancipated be a viable option? I had to get formally emancipated at 21 in order to get in-state tuition; would something similar be viable at the federal level?

@GaneshSittampalam I think that may be after 24 years old or marriage. So OP could get married an then not have to use parent's income on FAFSA.

See here

fastweb.com/financial-aid/articles/…