I moved to the US for college, and the only way to pay the predatorily high tuition was to take out student loans. Those were taken out incrementally each semester. I was eligible for several different kinds of loans at varying rates and amounts, so each semester I'd optimize, resulting in several loans a semester.

Most people don't realize that is how it is done, because they consolidate (or never switch provider) after graduation.

America is a scary place.