That's not clear at all. Education fees have gone up, but it's not clear that the cause is student loans (and the subsequent increase in demand for education), and even if they did, we would expect at least some increase in education as a result of loans that allow more people to get an education. Should people who have the cash up front be expected not to compete?
But I think the main difference is a shift in jobs where higher education becomes a requirement, and this is not just because of competition among employees, but because the supply of jobs is changing. Low skill jobs are moving offshore or taken by (sometimes illegal) immigrants who can live more cheaply. In order to obtain the (higher) standard of living of today's America, people need to create more value which requires more skills. A perfect example is the IT industry. Company's like Google create huge amounts of value[0], and employees who contribute this are rewarded.
[0] no, not selling ads, but the service that people use in exchange for the micro-payment of viewing an ad.
But I think the main difference is a shift in jobs where higher education becomes a requirement, and this is not just because of competition among employees, but because the supply of jobs is changing. Low skill jobs are moving offshore or taken by (sometimes illegal) immigrants who can live more cheaply. In order to obtain the (higher) standard of living of today's America, people need to create more value which requires more skills. A perfect example is the IT industry. Company's like Google create huge amounts of value[0], and employees who contribute this are rewarded.
[0] no, not selling ads, but the service that people use in exchange for the micro-payment of viewing an ad.