Sure, but if suddenly cut the students loose from their social duties, you need money now to pay for those who will need to be employed to cover in their places

Sure, but if suddenly cut the students loose from their social duties, you need money now to pay for those who will need to be employed to cover in their places, and you can't wait a few years till those students graduate, get jobs and pay taxes to cover those extra jobs. It's a monetary chicken adnd egg problem.