University is close to being free in Norway. Yes there is a tuition fee, but most of it goes straight to student welfare programs like campus nurses, courses, and extracurricular activities. It’s still common for people to have a lot of debt when they graduate though, as they still have to pay for rent and food. Rent is an important point as it’s currently rising in most university cities in Norway. People have realized when there are more students than places for them to live, they can charge outrageous amounts of money for a moldy basement (I spent 10 months of my life in such a basement).