When was the last time you were a student?

Also, there is a reason you want students to use your product before hit the work place, as they bring the interest in the product.

people aren’t usually paying for these licenses, their employers are.

For the average employee yes, but this disadvantages entrepreneurs, unemployed people who want to develop their skills, independent researchers, etc.

You have a point here. It’s not so much the employees are choosing the software. Employers are telling the Employees which software they have invested in.

(Edit)

Or which service contract they have paid for. Big companies want to have someone they can call when the tool doesn’t work as expected.

Matlab is 900 per year for an individual license. Simulink is 1500 and every toolbox (from which there are more than 100) is another 500. Also thinks like the compiler or parallal processing are toolboxes and not included in the base price.