[itsthejb]

I think “most” is a bit of a stretch. Even in countries where education is free, or close to free, students still need some means to support their daily living costs. So that means loans or part time work. Having all of that handed to you doesn’t feel like it promotes the idea that university is an investment you’re making in your future. And otherwise I’m not that supportive of “free” higher education. I certainly agree it shouldn’t be cripplingly expensive, but the last few decades have demonstrated that shifting more and more young people onto the higher ed track just devalues a degree for everyone, stigmatises those who choose a different path, and raises costs for everyone. I also strongly disagree with the idea that having some/many diplomas automatically makes one “smarter”. That’s just a normalisation of credentialism, in my opinion