you don't go to grad school if you aren't funded. Period.

It makes sense for those going to law school, it makes sense for those getting their MBA, it makes sense for teachers getting their Masters in teaching, it makes sense for professional degrees where there is a realistic expectation of being financially compensated for the degree within five to ten years. It absolutely does not make sense for someone pursuing a doctorate to teach at the college level.

I mean, student loans for a PhD? In the humanities? That's crazy. It's a pretty banal fact that getting in but not getting funded, on the doctoral level, is a lot closer to getting rejected than to getting in with funding. In other words, departments don't expect you to accept the offer, and you shouldn't.