1. I waited until I was 24. This meant that my parents income did not affect my federal assistance so that I could get the maximum amount.
2. I went to a dirt cheap community college my first two years. It was so cheap that the federal grants covered my tuition, books, plus a little extra for living expenses.
3. I did really well at community college and was able to get a few scholarships at a bigger university.
4. In my state there is a block transfer program so that all of my credits at community college counted at the larger university.
5. I was able to live at home for the entire duration so I did not have to pay a huge sum for campus housing.
I was able to get a computer science degree from a state university with somewhere around $1000 in debt which I paid off entirely with my first paycheck.
I was only in $1000 in debt because I foolishly bought a $2400 gaming laptop.