The new problem the US will have if they actually try to implement any kind of free or heavily-subsidized tertiary education system is that this high selectivit

The new problem the US will have if they actually try to implement any kind of free or heavily-subsidized tertiary education system is that this high selectivity will not be acceptable to a significant portion of the US population. Part of the reason we are in this student debt crisis in the first place is the constant drumbeat that everyone is supposed to go to college. You can't suddenly tell a large portion of them "sorry, you aren't good enough for college".