> We don't have this "you're in debt" culture that I think you create when you start school in the US.

I think an entire generation of students in England and Wales who now are paying up to £9000 per year of study would likely disagree with this.

While this is still less than many US examples, it's still a ton of debt for the average UK student who is unlucky enough to have an English or Welsh postcode (Scotland continues to offer free higher education). Especially so when you consider average graduate salaries in the UK.