More or less. If schooling (education truly is free already) was hypothetically free and accessible to all, then the professional bodies would simply move the f

More or less. If schooling (education truly is free already) was hypothetically free and accessible to all, then the professional bodies would simply move the fees away from the school system entirely. The debt would remain, just as it already does in professional organizations who aren't tied to the school system (taxi medallions, for example). You're not really any further ahead as it relates to this topic. The regulatory body wants their money, and if you don't pay up they will happily give the spot to someone else.