Also, if you're a really competitive high school student, you shouldn't have trouble getting a scholarship that will cover most (if not all) of your college education. I started undergrad for the second time a few years ago, so that wasn't an option for me. I went to community college, earned a 4.0, and got into a few Ivies and a state school honors program that covers my tuition and most of my living expenses. Many private schools offer huge scholarships to National Merit Scholars. My sister started late, got a small scholarship freshman year, then earned above a 3.8 and got so many scholarships that she didn't pay a dime for the rest of undergrad.
Plus, all the Ivies offer full tuition now to undergraduate students (only those coming straight from high school) whose parents make under a certain income. It varies depending on the school, but at Harvard the deal is that under $60,000 is free. Between $60 and 120,000, it's 10% of your parents' gross income. Over $120,000, there's still some leeway, and over $180,000, you're on your own. Columbia, UPenn, and Cornell offer similar financial arrangements.
If you're a top student AND are disadvantaged, there are tons of opportunities that will probably cost less than airfare back to the States to visit. Check them out.
