Student Loans, Questions, And Help!

I had a conversation with my finance teacher today, and it sparked an idea I'd like to get feedback on from anyone with more experience. Originally, I was planning to attend UTC in Tennessee, an out-of-state university, but the cost would be prohibitively expensive. Instead, I'm now considering Western Governors University (WGU), an online school with tuition of about $4,200 per semester. I'm hoping my financial aid, particularly Pell Grants, will cover most of that—I'll know more soon.

However, I still want to move to Tennessee for personal reasons. My new plan is to attend WGU online while living in Tennessee. If I take a part-time job, rent a modest apartment, and use student loans to cover the remaining costs that financial aid doesn't, do you think this is a reasonable approach?

For context, I'm planning on borrowing around $500 per month in student loans, which would total $24,000 over four years, or $12,000 over two years.

I’d appreciate any advice or feedback, especially from anyone who has more experience with managing college costs and living arrangements. I’m still figuring things out, so I’m open to suggestions or things I might not have considered. Thanks in advance for any help!