Would you say that this is generally the type of model people are campaigning for in the U.S. when "free college" is mentioned? Years ago, I had initially assumed people were applying that phrase the to the current U.S. model, where almost anyone can get into somewhere, as long as they can pay (not just tuition, but living expenses and time as well), with some programs being very easy, and they wanted all of that covered.
I'm not familiar with the sentiments on the other side of the pond. But what you outline boils down to absolutely no requirements. If your government would also provide students with free/subsidized housing and food, you'd quickly see unsustainable numbers of students.
