The government gives away money for food, no repayment necessary. If government intervention were an explanation by itself you'd have trouble reconciling that.

The government gives away money for food, no repayment necessary. If government intervention were an explanation by itself you'd have trouble reconciling that. Food prices don't outgrow inflation because of a very competitive market for commodities where one apple is about as good as another apple. Car makers, furniture sellers, etc. often offer zero interest loans with little effect on price growth. If one university or community college diploma was as good as any other you'd see low prices caused by competition. But everyone wants to go to the best university that will accept them, price be damned. And the data likely shows it's the right move. More respected universities lead to higher incomes that exceed the tuition costs.