In most Scandinavian countries, university fees are exempted by the government. But that’s not the case with capitalist-based countries like Malaysia or the United States. But, I disagree with this notion.
Because if something is free, that is how it is valued. University education should be made affordable to the extent that you are enrolled to advance your skill-set in a way that has the greater interests of society in mind - if you’re in school because you don’t want to face the “real world” or don’t want to work, society should not fund that. You value things you have to pay for. If a university education is worth it to you (and if you don’t know, you should before embarking on a university education), you should be willing to pay for it. Having said that, you should not be put in a position such that you become an economic slave to a great and unpayable debt upon graduation.Repaying student loans will take about 10 years, but students were able to move forward in career and was not crippled by them. Where does the balance lie? That, of course, is the devil - in the details.