> Students who are financially disadvantaged get help, both from the universities and the government.
I hate to add any more cynicism to this, but student aid is often higher ed's version of price segmentation. Out of state people pay the top prices, in state pay the middle, and low income pay a bit less (but often more over the long run due to loans). I know many people who will be paying interest on their student debt long after they would have paid back the entire principle. I was lucky and had parents who encouraged me to pace myself and go without much debt, but the system pretty much is stacked to rope in low info 18 year olds and extract as much from them as possible.
I hate to add any more cynicism to this, but student aid is often higher ed's version of price segmentation. Out of state people pay the top prices, in state pay the middle, and low income pay a bit less (but often more over the long run due to loans). I know many people who will be paying interest on their student debt long after they would have paid back the entire principle. I was lucky and had parents who encouraged me to pace myself and go without much debt, but the system pretty much is stacked to rope in low info 18 year olds and extract as much from them as possible.