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.