Imagine my glee at hearing that my son's college has:
-Free ultra-fast wifi everywhere
-Free books
-Free state-of-the-art exercise facilities
-Free 3D prining
...etc., etc.
At the top of my lungs I yell: NOT FREE......INCLUDED!
It's a vicious cycle, but once the kids take macro and micro econ, one they should understand if they paid attention. Supply and demand. The cost of college reduced the demand...until the easy money of loans increased the demand by handing out easy money so more students went...in which case prices can increase and increase until the money is gone (will it ever?)
...and the make it so easy. Sure the financial aid paperwork is a pain...but after that we got a paper that lays it all out and we had to fill out a form and send it back to NOT take the loan. If you take it, you do nothing.