If you want a degree in computer games, DIgipen Institute of Technology (DIT), Full Sail are places to go. There are a couple of others that are good -- I think USC has a program now. Those schools train and place people in the game industry; get a degree from there, and you'll be working on computer games.
Now, working on computer games isn't exactly a great deal. The pay is lower compared to computer jobs with similar skill requirements. The hours are long, and the burnout rate is high. That all may change; but that's the way it is now.
Also, speaking as someone who's worked professionally in the field (both in the past and present), working on games is not at all the same as playing them.
In any case, before giving up on non-profit universities and semi-profitable specialized schools such as Full Sail and Digipen, call up their financial aid people, and find out how much _exactly_ it will cost. What sorts of loans are we talking? Scholarships? Grants?
If you decide those places are not for you, and you want a degree that will get you a job, a decent paying one, not necessarily in the game industry, go to your community college for a couple of years. If you have the motivation and the interest, you should be able to do well enough to be in an optimal position for transfer to a big school. And if not, community colleges give a decent education at a great price.
But ITT and DeVry are a joke. Hell, most engineers would be embarassed to teach there. I mean, you can do great there, and get an excellent education and have a lot of talent; but nobody is going to see ITT or DeVry on your resume and believe it.
