In the recent past only a small proportion of society went to University. It was free.
The people that went were predominantly from richer families but obviously some from poorer backgrounds also benefited from a free education.
Times have changed...
A much higher number of people go to university as economies turn to thinking based economies. This has led to a rise in tuition fees in some countries often with criteria on minimum wages to be achieved before payback - essentially this is a tax on the rich and successful.
Some would argue that much like public health systems that carry out the basic stuff for everyone but stays away from the super expensive drugs as they have a negative impact overall so the government should concentrate on the whole of society and put resources into the education everyone does, or perhaps like Singapore where more money is spent on continuing education and skills enhancement throughout working life.
Should university fee be free, or?