You can say that students should know to read paperwork by the time they're entering college and that's fine, but the problem is that (for most) their only aven

You can say that students should know to read paperwork by the time they're entering college and that's fine, but the problem is that (for most) their only avenue towards high earnings is a degree and the only avenue to a degree are loans. Combine that with someone around age 18 who has never had significant income doesn't realize just how big those numbers are and how they'll impact them in the future. We badly need to reign in public college costs and offer student loans at lower rates.