There should be counselors for this sort of thing too. However, I can't fault an 18-20 year old for not really having any sense of scale about how much >$50k is

There should be counselors for this sort of thing too. However, I can't fault an 18-20 year old for not really having any sense of scale about how much >$50k is, even if they understand the paperwork clearly. They likely haven't slogged through years of work in a job they hate just to make ends meet. Any experience up to that point is likely with little bills and a low paying job. Even if these loans were made interest free, the principal getting that high in the first place is the larger issue. This is when the decision gets to the parents, and the drum beat for as long as I've been alive has been "go to college to get a good job!", conveniently ignoring the trade schools and other opportunities. It seems difficult to teach the hard lessons and experience of personal finance without them actually being hard lessons. Unless something else is driving everyone to accept student loans.