In Germany, university is basically free and at least when I went, expensive textbooks weren’t a thing at all. But you still have to have a way to pay for your living expenses, good luck trying to finish a degree when you’re working 20h+ hours a week. Of course it can be done (depending on the workload in your specific course), but once any kind of issue arises (e.g. mental health issues, or even just breaking a leg) there’s a very high risk that you’re going to drop out.