Short version of one of my most heartfelt rants ...
I believe that you and several others here recognise that the biggest problem is the higher education (H.E.) portion of the mix. There is no economic pressure on H.E. to control prices and to provide a desirable product. Their position is “pay what we say. We don’t care where you get the money but we will be paid in full before you as a student can set foot in a classroom.”
If H.E. had to stand behind their product financially, things would be drastically different.
I prefer the term “Big Education”.
Back up. Why is their product such a basic requirement to begin with? You can produce a good product or a crappy one, but if I'm required to buy it regardless, it puts all the power with them, not me or my kids or your kids or anyone else's kids (unless you're wealthy and can pay cash for their education).