[joncalhoun]

I fear things like this would never work in the US because at this point $14k/yr is nowhere near enough to cover the insane rate at which university prices are rising.

Ignoring all the reasons why the rates are going up, the simple truth is that many degrees are not worth their increased cost (in terms of ability to repay the loan with a career derived from said degree) and as a result the program wouldn't work for every major which could lead to the exact situation we are in - private parties offering crazy loans for majors that are deemed not cost effective by others.

We almost have this now in some ways. I've heard of hospitals paying for people to get nursing degrees if they work at said hospital for N years after graduating, so that apparently is a major where it is cost effective. I suspect you could also come up with something comparable for other majors that have a relatively high salary and high job prospects, but it would be much harder for fields where getting a job paying more than $15/hr after college is hard and often requires a PHD.