Obviously, this funding model is what our universities and colleges use now. It may seem absurd at first, but this model is not much different from the funding of public transit or a variety of agricultural services. The MTA recognizes that one significant financial barrier to PSE access is the need to defer income potential, or worse, to cover the cost of living while focusing exclusively on studies. Many taxpayers, particularly those amongst the working poor, are in neither the mood nor the position to subsidize the daily lives of students, particularly when the majority of PSE students who are either already from upper income groups or will enter that income strata after graduation. The best way to reduce input costs for students is not through subsidy but rather through actual reductions of the cost itself.
Subsidies are the more expensive route.
Reduced sales taxes will have a similarly positive impact. Reduced property taxes will allow many cash-strapped mature students to keep their home while attending school. Lower taxes on properties and utilities will keep rent and shelter costs low. Lower payroll taxes will make enhanced job creation for the student labour market possible. A more efficient transit system will create lower transit fares for students.