I don't think education should be paid for individually. In my opinion, it should be paid for by the state. That will ensure that the poor can go to the same college as the economical elite.

Here in France, colleges are controlled and funded by the State, just like high schools and the such: it is paid for by the taxes everybody pays, and should you decide to study there, you don't need to throw in a dime. As for testing: There are several types of college, ranging in 'practical value of the diploma' from the faculté (the most basic type of college) to the Ecole Normale Supérieure (the hughest level). Whether you can study in a certain type of college depends on the results you got on the Baccalauréat or bac, for short (an exam we have at the end of High School). To enter the faculté, you just need to have had a passing grade on your bac. The Ecole Préparatoire will require somewhat higher results. And so on. I know some people who, altough they got their bac, decided to go through twelf grade all over again just to get a better grade, so that they could apply to one of the better colleges.

In my case, I got 13.5/20 on the baccalauréat, which would probably have been enough to go to an Ecole Préparatoire. But I chose to go to a basic faculté because the fast work-rythm of the Ecole Préparatoire would have crushed me.

I don't know which system is better - but I like the fact that education is paid for by State-money.