If you were brilliant, as you have said, then you would have already applied for as many scholarships and grants as possible, instead of waiting until the last minute.
There's nothing written in any book that says that you have to attend college right after high school. Take a year off, get two jobs, save as much as you can. Go to community college to get your general courses out of the way. That's much cheaper than a university. Go to in state college. Don't stay in the dorms if you live in the same town - that doesn't make any kind of financial sense.
Take a full load of courses at the community college and get a part time job to help you save for your next year. There are many, many of us that have gone to college and worked up to 3 part time jobs just so we didn't have student loan debt.
You can get a degree - one that actually makes sense and will help you earn a living wage - and not go deep in debt if you plan this out.
