We have to pay in the UK, however everyone gets 'free' student loans to cover it. They cover tuition (£9k per year) and you have the choice of a 'maintenance loan' (basically to cover living costs) of £3-12k depending on whether you live in London or not. I think interest matches inflation, it is paid back via a tax straight out of your pay check but not until you are earning more than £25k per year. Also worth noting that tuition fees used to be about 1/3 what they are now but were raised around 2010. One of the talking points in the current election is how the opposition wants to get rid of them entirely.
In SOME countries in europe, higher education is free. I've met plenty of Brits with student loans. They're still in Europe (and the eu for now)