India, Oct. 14 -- A Texas woman recently revealed why she chose a $450 community college certification over an $80,000 master's degree at New York University. In an interview with Business Insider, Barbara Campos shared that she got accepted into a tech-focused master's program at NYU for Fall 2025. She initially believed the opportunity was a dream come true, however, without any scholarships or financial aid, her excitement soon turned into stress.

"I tried convincing myself that the tuition was somehow manageable. But the excitement quickly turned into anxiety when I realized my only option was taking out student loans," she told Business Insider.

Campos said that she was already managing debt from her undergraduate degree, and she b...