In the US, PhDs, in STEM at least, are fully funded. Either by research or teaching assistanship. This is the same as in Europe and students are frequently exchanged.
You'll only be paying for yourself if you're in art history or something stupid like that (even then you could get a TA) or you haven't demonstrated that you're smart enough to get a PhD.
Edit: it's so weird how this completely factual statement has been so controversial. I actually went through this process.
Once you're a few years in, you can't really leave without starting over or being ABD, which is a really bad resume blemish (because it usually happens to people who aren't smart enough for a PhD and get kicked out with the consolation prize).
Although, there is a really prominent researcher in my field who only has a master's. It's like, you know if I were on your committee, you could just staple a few of your papers together, and I would sign off on a PhD.
I don't have a masters, just a bachelors. My school basically requires you to have a masters degree to get a PhD, which I would be 1000% willing to do if I had financial support. I think it is unlikely that I would get any kind of help from the school considering my GPA when I left (~2.8) and that I for certain pissed off instructors I would be working with. I had trouble the last few semesters because I was running out of money all the time and couldn't really focus.
Also, I literally don't have the money to fill out the application for a masters degree. I literally have about $3. My parents won't give me the money for that because they want me to get a job. I have applied for well over a hundred positions, and had zero offers and about four total interviews.
Like I would be literally thrilled to go back to school, but I would be surprised if the school were interested in helping me. So as I write this out, I'm realizing that it's not just a money issue...
Degrees don't mean much to me and you can learn almost anything for free these days. Now, having good mentors would be cool, but I went to college and there weren't any there either.
Yeah I've only had one or two "good" teachers in any schooling I did. I wouldn't consider any of them as mentors. Definitely had a bunch of crappy ones too.
I started to learn some of that during the pandemic. With a good square, circular saw, and drill you can get started. I've gotten into building some relatively simple furniture now and am basically just using those tools still.
I have a circular saw, a miter saw, a small table saw, an oscillating saw, a square, and a drill. (Among other tools.) I've been able to learn how to install trim and flooring, replace deck boards, and build shelving.
At some point I'd love to learn how to make a bench.