This is a fantastic opportunity -- take it. And show your gratitude to your grandfather by working hard and making the most of his investment in you.
I understand why you're concerned about this being the right choice. Yes, you can find plenty of "college wasn't worth it for me" stories, but consider what those stories have in common -- almost all the people who whine this particular line fall into one or more of these categories:
- They chose to attend an expensive university -- private, out of state, whatever
- They borrowed a bunch of money, ignoring the reality of their ability to repay
- They goof off, take light semesters, change majors frequently -- and then they don't graduate in four years
- They chose a degree that doesn't lead to a real job -- or a low-paying job, or a job that's essentially impossible to obtain, or a job that's being made obsolete by technology, or similar
A typical "college wasn't worthwhile" complainer might say something like this: I went to a fantastic, small private school because it was just right for me, and I had such a fantastic experience earning my Creative Writing degree. I wouldn't change a thing about it! But now I owe $200,000 (which is $10,000 more than it was when I graduated) and I'm working as a manager at JC Penny's. If I didn't live with my parents, I couldn't make my loan payments. The world is so hard for my generation!
In contrast, you'll never hear a person who went to an inexpensive state school and earned a degree in a profitable field saying "college wasn't worth it for me". The real moral is, Choose Wisely. Both my husband and I worked very hard to put ourselves through college, and we've both been solidly employed ever since. We have "had back" every penny we spent on education many, many times over.