That is true. While I didn't spend a load on flight school it is priceless to get paid to fly. I still remember the first time I got paid to fly, (a couple months ago) it was priceless. By the way, there are plenty of ways to get through all your flight ratings without spending the kind of money talked about. The best way is to not go through a college to get the tickets.
I have my CFI and CFII and I am under 20,000 and it is all paid for. Finally, it should only take about another 6-7 grand to get my multi engine ratings including MEI.