[noshbrinken]

I think you're missing the point. I don't think that Americans are losing faith in the value of education. Most Americans I know envy the low cost of education in Europe exactly because they would like the same conditions of access. Simply put, we want to go to school. But we don't want to sink ourselves into decades of debt to do so. Would anyone?

[carlmr]

You'll have to agree to pay a lot more taxes though. I got a Bachelor's degree in Germany where it was cheap (we had some tuition at the time, but nothing compared to the US). Let's say it costs 15k a year (not what they charge, but the actual cost, which counts in a state sponsored system). That is 52.5k over the 3.5 years I studied. I've since paid at least that amount extra taxes as compared to the US. But I still have quite a few years of work ahead of me, so I'll be paying off this "debt" for a long time.

Basically you're trading the freedom to choose to go in debt for a personal decision, for going in debt for the average decision in your country. I'm ok with it, but I think it's a very different philosophy. A similar thing when I see single payer health care proposals in the US where they say it's too costly. Well d'uh. You gotta charge health care tax. It's not free, it's just that everyone is paying into the same pool. I'm paying almost 700€ a month for my socialized health insurance. Mostly because it's adapted to your income. But it's really not low cost or free. Just that everyone is paying together.

[cannonedhamster]

700€ is dramatically lower than what my employer pays for my healthcare with my family and that still has deductibles and Co-Pays. I'm not sure what your amount includes so I don't know if it's a fair comparison, but if it is then that's not a bad price at all.