That's smart! I'm not saying loans never make sense (especially for people who are getting degrees where they know they'll have a good salary), but just trying to give some perspective from someone who's still dealing with their own loans a long time after graduating and talked to a lot of people who've had it a lot worse.

Maybe something will work out for you to move to Philly and get an education for cheap. It doesn't hurt to ask questions/poke around. Good luck!

If you move back, you may run into residency issues trying to get in-state tuition (it's one year for CCP). But more importantly, don't underestimate how big of a benefit you are getting with that free education in New Mexico. For many people, college loans are an albatross around their necks for much of the rest of their lives preventing them saving money and buying a house - it's easy to ignore how much you'll have to repay and for how many years when you are taking out the loans.