In the case of the ski team the large majority of them pay their own way here just like you, in fact probably a lot more than you since they are international or out of state students... They also provide ALL of their own equipment.

If you had the capacity to train 60 hours a week and maintain a 3.75 GPA like they do while paying for all your own equipment and school and housing just to do the sport you love you wouldn't even consider thinking what you just said...