I agree that standardized testing is very important, and I’m not suggesting that the girl in the article is the norm. But she did get a Bachelor’s Degree - paid for! She may not have been able to afford higher education otherwise (think she comes from a large family). But she was a gifted student and could handle it.
FAU is not Harvard but it’s nothing to be ashamed of either. I live about 2 miles from there and drive in and out of there almost every day dropping my son off at his dual enrollment classes and activities.
I think, for the right student in the right situation, DE is a great blessing. But it can be a disaster too, and should not be entered into lightly.
OP is wise to look at all the options, and the positives and negatives (and there are negatives to DE).