Still reduces the cost drastically to society, the whole exploitative college middle-man charging $150k for a degree is gone because the government says "fuck you, degrees are $40k or you don't get govt places for your course", and lo and behold.. Suddenly the same courses are $40k.

Just like how the US healthcare advocates cry that "free healthcare is socialism that overburdens the taxpayer" - and yet in countries with socialised healthcare they pay 1/4 of what the US pays for the same health outcomes and usually even less for literally the exact same medicine from the same companies.

Collective bargaining.