Debt does generally have an expiration and is discardable in bankruptcy... unless you live in America. ISAs might be an attractive alternative to how terrible American laws about student debt are, but the real solution is to fix the awful laws.
A better alternative that you can pursue today is just to seek education abroad, Canadian universities are a fraction of the cost for an equivalent service - or be careful about the education you choose, most state colleges are very reasonable for in-state tuition and you can potentially save on room and board.
Ivy-league schools are overpriced and a waste of money.
You pay if you have no job, or any job. Debt has no expiration and is not disc arable in bankruptcy.
It is clear that ISAs are worse if you will be successful. It is also clear that traditional loans are worse if you are wildly unsuccessful.
The tradeoff is the tricky part.