But the point is not just the total cost (tax payers & own money) but that shifting this cost to the public means everyone will be able to afford it (including

But the point is not just the total cost (tax payers & own money) but that shifting this cost to the public means everyone will be able to afford it (including poor kids who currently aren't & just remain "uneducated" instead). The argument is that society as a whole benefits from a better educated/more healthy/etc population so even tho it will cost you some tax money in the greater scheme of things as a whole we will benefit. If this means e.g. a 20% premium on the cost of education or healthcare I'd be willing to accept that. If it's 10x the cost that's obviously a different story. But we don't actually know the scale of the effect.