In France they have a much simpler university system from what I am told. College consists of classes and exams. It doesn't consist of a lush campus, dorms, lots of activities, deans in charge of making sure certain valued students are protected from academic consequences of failure, etc.

Just classes and exams. The exams are hard, the classes crowded. The strong survive and graduate. The degree is worth something. The system is simpler, so it's more common for a student to have a job, his own apartment (or shared), and basically run his own life while working at getting thru the college.

We would be better off with such a system here. Then there would be no expectation that for "equity" reasons, we would be lending people money they can never repay, for food, housing and all living expenses as well as tuition and books.