FYI I got my degree at a Co-operative Education University - meaning I actually made more money than I spent because my school found me an internship every 4 months where I could make more than enough to pay for the next term. Had I been smarter I would have not bought a car and taken flying lessons with the extra money at a local FBO
It is completely worth it and possible to get a Bachelor's degree without spending 200k. There are also plenty of cheaper 3 year diplomas that can turn in to 4 year degrees, and you can get loans on more favorable terms (lower and tax deductible interest) for non-aviation diplomas and degrees than you could for ATP or the like.
Once you're done, you can continue your flight training without having to go into debt because you've got a well paying job. Just don't get fat and married like I did or your flying dream gets pushed back for a bigger house, rib-eyes, and pool maintenance.
