US higher education is uber expensive because whenever americans put something in between the service being delivered and how it is paid, it is out of sight out of mind. The borrowing doesn't feel real because repayment is deferred. Universities love money and they figured out that they can jack up the tuition and build lots of buildings and hire lots of useless administrators because it is all borrowed money without any kind of reasonableness applied. You would think the US government would demand due diligence not just from the borrower but also from the institution not to waste that money.