Can I throw the BS flag on the college tuition claim?
Yes, it has become more expensive to go to college over the last few decades; but it is not as bad as people are trying to make it sound.
The average annual tuition at a public university in the US is just over $6400 per year.
I also just looked up the rates at public universities in some of the bigger states to see how bad it was for the masses, concerned that the $6400 might be artificially low because of low tuition in low population states. While the rates are higher in the bigger states, they are still not so high as to make the cost of a public education in those states prohibitive. I picked schools in the 4 biggest states (these amounts include fees, if fees were separately delineated):
UC Davis: $11,200
UT Austin: $9800
University of Florida: $6400
University at Albany: $8000
Living expenses probably bring that total up closer to $20,000 to $22,000 per school year, but that is not a fair comparison because you need to cover rent and food whether you are in school or not.
So yes, it would be pretty easy to rack up $100k in student loans at a state school, but that would mean borrowing 100% of your tuition and living expenses, and might even require a 5th year.
That amount seems like an unlikely high water mark to me. That would mean that you are neither getting any family contribution nor are you getting any financial aid. It also means you are not working.
Sure, I understand unpaid internships are a bigger part of the landscape than ever, but I don't think that everyone is doing unpaid internships.