A few countries provide for free college. In exchange for service, the US military will pay for college with no debt if you play your cards right. They can give you a free degree at their own military academies with no debt. Some states' community colleges aren't that cheap such as compared to California. There are a few states where the vocational school is free to local residents while the community college costs a lot. I can see why your mentor wants you to try harder or your thesis isn't as strong as you think.
TESU BA CS and Math (graduated December 2016)