Can you get a debt-free degree? (BBC)
This BBC article suggests ways of keeping your debt to a minimum whilst enjoying a uni education.
Some of the advice here misses the point of living independently, away from the family home, but there’s enough info on stuff you may not have thought about.
And not everyone lives away from the home anyway. If you’re at home, you could be saving on rent and even food expense. Commuting to a local uni depends on your priorities (and generosity of your parents!).
As for the Army/Navy/Air Force route, one of my relatives is doing just that and he’s off to uni after a stint in the forces. He’s earning money now and when he’s done in a few years, the forces will pay for his degree and living expenses (rent, food, etc.) which can’t be bad if you’re happy to spend a few years training up in other ways.
Upshot is, there’s no right or wrong way of going through Higher Education. If you can do it as cheaply as possible without dragging massive debts behind you, that can’t be a bad thing.
