I often wonder why education in the U.S. is not on the whole very affordable

Once you get into higher education? In some other countries it is heavily subsidized and is very affordable compared to the United States. I know taxes foot the bill but everyone who is a citizen or legal resident benefits. These are usually public universities. Of course costs are higher for international students but it still does not carry the same crushing burden of debt the U.S. carries. Until the 1960s and 1970s free college was the norm in America or at least almost free. What happened? I am for making post secondary education which includes universities, junior colleges, and trade/vocational schools affordable again so that it is more easily accessible for those who want to pursue higher education. I’m also for democratizing education and making it open admissions like Open University or Athasbasca University so there are fewer barriers towards receiving and enrolling in higher advanced education. There are also schools with lightly selective admissions which are accessible to almost anyone with a high school diploma. Students should not have to worry about getting into a school and stressing themselves to get into schools with low admissions rates. I mean students should still work hard for good grades and assessments but PSATS and SATS should not be criteria for merit based entry into a college. Students make themselves sick over getting into the top schools and then when they don’t get in they fall apart. I mean having extra curricular activities and taking internships and having part time jobs are positive things but it is ok to go to a school with a high acceptance rate. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t get into Harvard or Oxford. Elitism has been ruining education for centuries. What good does it do to exclude bright minds from colleges just because they cannot afford it and maybe didn’t do so great on standardized testing. That is just how I feel.