[giorgosts]

Why are tuition fees and student loans necessary? Instead of the government backing up or paying up the student loans, can't it just pay the university directly and then the student would study for free? (after perhaps some common sense adjustments to prevent abuse). Like in, you know, Europe.

[nonethewiser]

Well, then everyone would be paying for it instead of the people that go.

[giorgosts]

If most students end up being paid their loans by the government its the same, minus the bureaucracy and the optics (we are not socialists, we discourage socialist behavior).

You can apply this rationale to the army, police, fire brigades, hospitals, schools, street lighting, public roads, public transport etc. and you end up in a jungle, not a civilized society.