Because for some students the debt is paid off quickly, so in the long run the lower taxes from the state not paying for everyone's education make that student better off. For other students with useless degrees, the consequences of their actions come home to roost with their debt.
That being said I do think student debt should be dischargeable in bankruptcy. As is the market for education is dysfunctional.
Objectively, from the statistics, that's just not the case. Average undergraduate student loan debt in public California schools was $23,600 in 2019 [1]. That is less than the price of most new cars.
You're talking from anecdotes, I'm showing you the objective statistics supplied by the state of California. One is going to give a more complete picture than the other.
That being said I do think student debt should be dischargeable in bankruptcy. As is the market for education is dysfunctional.