I grew up in a "working-class poor" family, with lots of love and not much money.
I worked a variety of jobs, from stock boy to gas station attendant to police officer, from age 14 on. After graduating from high school, I went to directly to college, graduate school (M.A.), and law school, without taking any time off, primarily on student loans -- which took 7 years to pay off. Ouch. My family helped out a little where they could ($20.00 here and there), and I saved what money I could from wherever I was working at the time. However, my education was primarily financed by student loans.
And they all lived happily ever after.