In my country's case, the colleges where the CBC is implemented are public and free for all students on the undergrad level (subsidized by taxes) and very affordable for masters/PhD.

The expense is the opportunity cost, the time spent not working for money.

Yes, that's what I meant.

People like us are blessed to not have to hustle to earn since we are 18 yos.

But I have seen, first hand, people dropping out of really good opportunities when they have the smallest chance to earn an income.

You can work and go to school at the same time.

Don't have a broken, monstrously expensive educational system?

It wouldn't need to require an extra year. The courses available in that first year could be general courses which apply to all majors.

That's a good solution, but works only for not-so-involved subjects?

If you want to study Physics, CS, etc., then, this will not possibly work.

Unless we make papers common to multiple majors.