I chose to take 6 years, held a job, paid my own tuition/rent/expenses, graduated with no debt. For me the reduced risk (debt) outweighed the opportunity cost (time).

I've always been prideful about money and don't like people paying for my stuff. So I wouldn't ask my parents to pay or co-sign, so I basically couldn't get a loan given those constraints (at the time, late 90s into early 00s).