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<p>Does Tim want to be able to drive over bridges knowing he won’t go in the water? Does Tim want to drive cars that won’t blow up when he turns the ignition? Does Tim want to ensure that his elevators don’t plummet at the 8th floor? Does Tim want to be sure that his house doesn’t fall down around his ears? When Tim need a replacement hip at age 65, does he want to be sure that his body doesn’t reject it and that it works properly within his body?</p>
<p>Then Tim has a vested interest in making sure that the US has well-trained engineers and scientists.</p>
<p>If every would-be engineer in the US had to bear the entire cost of an engineer’s education either out of pocket or through bank loans, we wouldn’t have that many engineers, and we’d be stuck in the Industrial Revolution.</p>
<p>I agree that individuals should bear some cost in their own secondary education, but we do live in a society. Also, most college majors are not occupational training.</p>