<prompt> Human: Im attending a good UC for mathematics this year and my parents are willing to pay for my first year of college. Im paying 35,000 for instate tuition The fafsa and Cal Grant only offered me small loans. After that, they said they are willing to cosign for loans and give me some help once I graduate. Is the 105,000 of debt worth it for my degree?  <response>: It probably is. As other replies point out, there are strategies that could reduce your expense, and Im actually a big fan of community college as a starting point. But if youve been accepted to a school with a good reputation and a strong network of successful alumni, theres some benefit to going there the full four years, and trying hard to not only get good grades but also make friends and connections with your peers and the faculty. Those connections will open doors for your career advancement. It really doesnt take a very big boost in lifetime earnings to make short work of a 100,000 student loan. Im also a big fan of learning a trade or skill, if you dont feel like youre cut out for the academic life. But the world needs math people, so if you have a passion and the aptitude, you should definitely get that math degree. Become an educated person. 