So very many students I knew when at University were surviving entirely off loans/debt, instead of having a job. That's one of the easiest ways for people to rack up 5-6 figures of "student" debt... even though a non-trivial amount was spent on Chipotle and Blaze Pizza... along with expensive apartments or dorms (all expenses the individual would incur regardless if they were a student or not).
Many people believe University (and therefore a degree) is an automatic door to a high paying job - yet fail to realize what your field of study is matters a lot. We almost shouldn't even offer student loans for anything outside of STEM, but even within STEM your job prospects are largely up to the individual.
University largely doesn't teach you how to do a job... it teaches you how to think. You spend a lot of time in your field of study thinking deeply about issues, ideas, past works, etc. None of which prepares you for your first day in the office.
University (and the college experience in general) is meaningful and powerful. I recommend it - but not with debt. Get a full-time job, and work your way through your degree program. It will take much longer to get your degree, but you will be a much more complete adult at the end, filled with equal parts life-experience and domain knowledge.